Fatty Liver In Spanish Meaning | Plain Terms That Work

The plain term is “hígado graso,” and doctors may write “esteatosis hepática” in notes and imaging reports.

If you’ve seen “fatty liver” on a lab portal, ultrasound report, or discharge paper, the next step is often language. You want the Spanish words that match what a clinician means, not a loose translation that sounds odd or causes mix-ups.

This article gives you the Spanish terms people actually say, when each one fits, and the phrases you’ll hear in clinics, radiology, and everyday talk. You’ll also get a quick way to read common abbreviations, plus a short script you can use when you need to explain results to family.

Why the wording matters in medical Spanish

Spanish has a simple everyday phrase for “fatty liver,” and it also has formal medical terms that show up in records. If you use the everyday phrase in a hospital setting, you’ll still be understood. If you use the formal term in casual talk, you may sound stiff or confuse people who aren’t used to medical vocabulary.

One more thing: “fatty liver” can point to more than one cause. Some cases relate to alcohol use. Many cases do not. English sources separate these types, and Spanish sources do too. Clear Spanish wording helps you ask the right follow-up questions, like what kind of fatty liver is being described and what tests are next.

Fatty Liver In Spanish Meaning

The direct, everyday phrase is hígado graso. It’s what many patients say, and many clinicians say it out loud in conversation. In written medical Spanish, you’ll also see esteatosis hepática, which is a clinical label for fat in the liver. Both point to the same core idea: extra fat stored in liver cells.

If you want a simple way to lock it in, “hígado” is liver, and “graso” means fatty or greasy. The RAE definition of “graso” shows it as an adjective linked with fat or grease, which matches how it’s used in everyday Spanish.

Pronunciation that won’t trip you up

• Hígado: EE-gah-doh (stress on “EE”).
• Graso: GRAH-soh (single “s” sound).
• Esteatosis: es-teh-ah-TOH-sis.
• Hepática: eh-PAH-tee-kah.

You don’t need perfect accent marks in speech, but in writing they help. “Hígado” with the accent is the standard spelling.

Fatty liver term in Spanish for labs and scans

When “fatty liver” appears in an ultrasound or CT report, Spanish records often use terms that sound more technical than everyday speech. The big one is esteatosis hepática. Radiology may also describe the liver as “con esteatosis” or “con infiltración grasa.” That last phrase is common in imaging and means fat has built up within the liver tissue.

Medical references in English describe fatty liver as fat buildup in the liver, and they split it into types and severity. MedlinePlus gives an overview of fatty liver disease and its main categories on its Fatty liver disease page. NIDDK also explains NAFLD, NAFL, and NASH on its NAFLD & NASH information page. Those English labels often appear in Spanish charts too, sometimes unchanged as “NAFLD” or “NASH,” and sometimes translated.

Common chart terms and what they mean in plain English

Spanish medical writing likes compact phrases. Here are the ones you’re most likely to see, plus what they usually mean when read in English:

• Esteatosis hepática: fat in the liver (the formal label).
• Hígado graso: fatty liver (the everyday label).
• Infiltración grasa hepática: fatty infiltration in the liver, often used in imaging.
• Esteatohepatitis: fat plus liver inflammation (in English you’ll often see “steatohepatitis”).
• Fibrosis: scarring in the liver.
• Cirrosis: advanced scarring with changes to liver structure.

Alcohol-related vs non-alcohol-related phrasing

In Spanish, you may see “por alcohol” or “asociada al alcohol” when the record links the finding to alcohol use. For non-alcohol causes, many clinicians still use “hígado graso no alcohólico,” which mirrors “nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.” Some sites and clinicians also use newer labels like MASLD, but your paperwork may still show NAFLD for now.

What people mean when they say “hígado graso”

In everyday talk, “hígado graso” is often used as a broad umbrella. It can mean a mild ultrasound finding, a diagnosis tied to metabolic health, or a finding that needs more testing. The phrase itself does not tell you the cause or the stage.

So, when you hear it, the next useful question is: “¿Qué tan avanzado está?” That means “How far along is it?” Another is: “¿Hay inflamación o cicatriz?” That asks whether there’s inflammation or scarring.

Clinicians often grade fatty liver from mild to severe on imaging. In Spanish, that may show up as leve (mild), moderada (moderate), or severa (severe). You might also see “grado 1, 2, 3.” Those grades are imaging descriptions, not a full diagnosis on their own.

Table of Spanish phrases you’ll see in real records

This table groups common Spanish wording by where you’re likely to see it. Use it as a translation cheat sheet, then pair it with the full report for context.

Spanish phrase	Where it shows up	Plain meaning
Hígado graso	Clinic talk, discharge notes	Fatty liver (general term)
Esteatosis hepática	Problem list, imaging report	Fat stored in liver cells
Infiltración grasa hepática	Ultrasound, CT, MRI	Fatty infiltration pattern on imaging
Esteatosis leve / moderada / severa	Ultrasound summary	Mild / moderate / severe fat appearance
Hepatomegalia	Imaging findings	Enlarged liver
Transaminasas elevadas (ALT/AST)	Lab results	Higher liver enzymes on blood tests
Esteatohepatitis (NASH/MASH)	Specialist notes, biopsy	Fat plus inflammation and injury
Fibrosis avanzada	Elastography, specialist notes	More scarring than expected
Cirrosis	Specialist notes, imaging	Late-stage scarring

How to talk about results in Spanish without sounding like a chart

If you’re speaking with family, you can keep it simple. Here are a few natural lines that match how people speak while staying accurate:

• “Me salió hígado graso en el ultrasonido.” (My ultrasound showed fatty liver.)
• “El doctor dijo que es esteatosis hepática.” (The doctor said it’s hepatic steatosis.)
• “Quiero saber si hay inflamación o cicatriz.” (I want to know if there’s inflammation or scarring.)
• “¿Qué cambios me recomiendan según mis análisis?” (What changes do you recommend based on my labs?)

If you’re translating for someone else, mirror the tone they use. If they say “hígado graso,” stick with that. If the report uses “esteatosis hepática,” you can repeat it once, then switch to the simpler phrase.

Reading Spanish test names tied to fatty liver

Fatty liver often shows up next to labs and scans that check liver irritation, fat handling, and scarring risk. Spanish lab portals may label tests slightly differently by country, but the core terms repeat.

Blood tests

• ALT may show as “ALT” or “TGP.”
• AST may show as “AST” or “TGO.”
• Fosfatasa alcalina is alkaline phosphatase.
• Bilirrubina is bilirubin.
• Albúmina is albumin.
• Recuento de plaquetas is platelet count, used in some fibrosis scores.

Imaging and scarring checks

• Ultrasonido abdominal: abdominal ultrasound.
• Elastografía: a scan that estimates stiffness, used as a proxy for scarring.
• Resonancia magnética: MRI.

If your report mentions “fibrosis” or “cirrosis,” ask how that conclusion was reached and what test backs it up.

When “fatty liver” is more than a translation issue

Sometimes the phrase is just a finding with no symptoms. Other times it sits next to risk factors like type 2 diabetes, high triglycerides, or weight gain around the abdomen. Medical sources describe non-alcohol-related fatty liver as common and often silent, with progression in a smaller group of people. The NHS page on non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) lays out symptoms, typical risk factors, and when to seek medical care.

If you’re seeing any of these, ask for medical review soon: yellowing of skin or eyes (ictericia), swelling in the abdomen (ascitis), vomiting blood (vómito con sangre), black stools (heces negras), confusion (confusión), or easy bleeding (sangrado fácil). Those symptoms can point to liver trouble that needs prompt care.

If your only clue is an imaging note that says “esteatosis leve,” you can still ask for a plan. A plan may include repeat labs, review of medications, screening for viral hepatitis, and advice linked to weight, glucose, and lipids. The plan depends on your full picture, not on the translation alone.

Table to match what you saw with what to ask next

Use this table as a prompt list for your next appointment. Keep the questions short. Bring the report or a screenshot.

What you saw in Spanish	What it usually points to	One good next question
Esteatosis leve	Mild fat on imaging	“¿Repetimos análisis en 3–6 meses?”
Transaminasas elevadas	Liver enzymes are higher	“¿Qué causas quieren descartar?”
Esteatohepatitis	Fat plus inflammation/injury	“¿Qué prueba confirma esto?”
Elastografía con rigidez alta	Possible scarring	“¿Qué nivel de fibrosis sugiere?”
Fibrosis avanzada	More scarring risk	“¿Necesito un hepatólogo?”
Hepatomegalia	Liver looks enlarged	“¿A qué lo atribuyen en mi caso?”

Mini script you can copy for a call or message

If you’re booking an appointment in Spanish, this short script gets the point across without extra fluff:

“Hola. En mi reporte dice ‘esteatosis hepática’ / ‘hígado graso’. Quiero revisar mis análisis y saber si hay inflamación o fibrosis. ¿Qué estudios recomiendan y cuándo debo repetirlos?”

If you’re sending a message, attach the report and include the date of the test. That saves back-and-forth.

Plain takeaways you can rely on

“Hígado graso” is the everyday way to say fatty liver in Spanish. “Esteatosis hepática” is the formal medical label you’ll see in records. Imaging may add phrases like “infiltración grasa,” and severity words like “leve” or “severa.”

Once you have the right Spanish term, the next step is meaning: cause, stage, and next tests. Use your report, your labs, and your risk factors to shape the questions. If you’re unsure what your record is saying, ask the clinic to explain it in plain Spanish. A good explanation should leave you with a next step you can actually follow.