The MASH medical abbreviation stands for metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis, a liver condition in which extra fat in the liver comes with inflammation and liver cell injury. It is the newer name for what used to be called NASH, nonalcoholic steatohepatitis.
Liver specialists adopted the new names to describe the condition by what drives it, metabolic health, rather than by what it is not. You may now see MASH on liver biopsy reports, imaging follow ups and hepatology letters, sometimes alongside the older term. This page explains the name, how it fits with MASLD, and how to read it in your records.
At a glance
Stands for
Metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitisOlder name
NASH, nonalcoholic steatohepatitisParent term
MASLD, the broader fatty liver groupWord roots
Steato (fat) + hepat (liver) + itis (inflammation)Specialty
Hepatology, gastroenterology, primary care, endocrinologyOther meanings
MASH unit, a mobile army surgical hospital (military history)
What the MASH medical abbreviation means
MASH describes a liver that holds too much fat and also shows inflammation and damaged liver cells. That combination matters because it can lead to scarring, called fibrosis, and over many years to cirrhosis or liver cancer, written as HCC.
The condition is tied to metabolic health. To fit the definition, a person has fatty liver plus at least one cardiometabolic risk factor, such as excess weight around the waist, high blood sugar or type 2 diabetes, high blood pressure, high triglycerides or low HDL cholesterol. Many people have no symptoms, and the condition is often found through blood tests or imaging done for another reason.
Old names and new names side by side
The renaming touched a whole family of terms. This table maps the old shorthand to the new.
| Older term | Newer term | What it covers |
|---|---|---|
| NAFLD | MASLD | Fat in the liver linked to metabolic risk factors |
| NASH | MASH | The inflamed, injured form of that fatty liver |
| None | MetALD | Metabolic fatty liver plus higher alcohol intake |
Most people who had a NASH diagnosis fit the MASH definition, so research and treatment guidance carry over. Records written before the change will still say NASH.
Word roots inside steatohepatitis
The long word breaks down neatly. Steato means fat, hepat means liver and itis means inflammation, so steatohepatitis is a fatty, inflamed liver. Metabolic dysfunction associated tells you the condition is linked to the body's handling of sugar, fat and weight rather than to heavy drinking or another single cause.
As a medical acronym, MASH is said as a word rather than spelled out, much like NASH was. So if you are hunting for the medical term behind MASH, its meaning is simply a fatty, inflamed liver tied to metabolic health.
How MASH appears in reports
Biopsy report: "Findings consistent with MASH, stage F2 fibrosis." The pathologist saw fat, inflammation and cell injury. F2 is a fibrosis stage on a scale where F0 means no scarring and F4 means cirrhosis.
Biopsy is the most direct way to confirm MASH, but many clinics use blood based scores and liver stiffness scans to estimate scarring without a needle. Liver blood tests, written as LFT, may be normal or mildly raised, so normal results do not rule MASH out.
Telling MASH apart from other liver terms
MASH sits among several liver abbreviations that sound alike. MASLD is the broader group, which includes simple fatty liver without inflammation. CLD means chronic liver disease from any cause. Alcohol related liver disease is described separately. Outside medicine, MASH also recalls the mobile army surgical hospital units used in past wars, but that meaning does not appear in a patient's liver records.
Find more condition shorthand in the diagnosis abbreviations section.
What care for MASH usually involves
Care plans for MASH focus on the metabolic drivers: gradual weight loss when appropriate, physical activity, managing diabetes, blood pressure and cholesterol, and limiting alcohol. A small number of medicines have been approved for certain adults with MASH and moderate to advanced scarring, and research in this area is active. People with advanced fibrosis are usually followed by a hepatology team with regular checks.
These details describe a liver term in general. Your hepatologist or family doctor is best placed to interpret a MASH result for you and suggest which steps fit.
Frequently asked questions
What does MASH stand for in liver disease?
MASH stands for metabolic dysfunction associated steatohepatitis. It means fatty liver with inflammation and liver cell injury, linked to metabolic risk factors.
Is MASH the same as NASH?
MASH is the newer name for NASH. Nearly everyone diagnosed with NASH fits the MASH definition, so the two terms describe the same condition in practice.
What is the difference between MASH and MASLD?
MASLD is the broad group of fatty liver linked to metabolic health. MASH is the more active form within that group, where inflammation and cell injury are present.
Can you have MASH with normal liver tests?
Yes. Liver enzyme levels can be normal in MASH, which is why imaging, stiffness scans or a biopsy may be used to assess the liver.