Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH): a descriptive series of 13 cases at the Kinshasa University Hospital

Abstract

Context & objective. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) is a silent disease that can lead to liver fibrosis, cirrhosis and even liver cancer. However, this disease is still poorly documented. The aim of the present study was to determine its frequency and describe its clinical and histopathological profile. Methods. A retrospective descriptive study of liver biopsy slides collected over a 61-year period for various pathologies, i.e., from January 1, 1960 to December 31, 2020, was conducted at the Pathological Anatomy Laboratory of Kinshasa University Hospital. Results. Of 252 liver biopsies recorded, 13 were diagnosed as NASH, which corresponds to a relative frequency of 5.16%. Males were predominant (9 of 13), with a sex ratio M/F of 2.25. The age group between 41 and 50 had the highest number of cases (38.46%), and the disease was most prevalent between 30 and 60 (76.92%). Fibrosis stage F3 was the most common at 69.23%, and no cirrhosis stage F4 was found. Conclusion. The frequency of NASH appears low in our series. Young adult males were more affected. The majority of patients were at fibrosis stage F3. Received: September 8th, 2024Accepted: March 24th, 2025 https://dx.doi.org/10.4314/aamed.v18i3.15