Health Questions and Answers

Archive for the 'Liver and Hepatitis' Category

Question: What is Wilson’s disease?

Saturday, January 26th, 2008

Answer:
It is an autosomal recessive genetic disorder characterized by an accumulation of copper in the liver and brain. The Wilson’s gene is ATP7B, which is either absent or markedly diminished in Wilson’s disease. The lack of the gene results in diminished synthesis of ceruloplasmin and/or defective transport of hepatocellular copper into bile for excretion.
Reference: Sleisenger [...]

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Question: What are the common causes of fulminant hepatic failure.

Saturday, January 26th, 2008

Answer:

Viral hepatitides A,B,C,D,E
Drugs: acetaminophen, antituberculosis drugs, troglitazone, Ectasy
Herbal medications: Jin bu huan, comfrey
Toxins: Amanita phalloides, carbontetrachloride, trichloroethyleneVascular: Budd-Chiari syndrome, veno-occlusive disease, ischemia or hypoxia, heatstroke
Miscellaneous: malignant infiltration, Wilson’s disease, acute fatty liver of pregnancy, Reye’s syndrome

Reference: Sleisenger MH, Fordtran JS (eds): Gastrointestinal Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and Management, 7th ed. Philadelphia, W.B. Saunders, 2003.

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Question: What is fulminant hepatic failure?

Saturday, January 26th, 2008

Answer:
Characteristically this entity involves a previously healthy patient who undergoes acute and progressive liver failure. The mortality rate is ∼ 80% if untreated. Fulminant hepatic failure usually begins as malaise, anorexia, and low-grade fever, followed by signs and symptoms of liver failure (e.g., jaundice, encephalopathy). The most common cause of death in fulminant hepatic failure [...]

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Question: When should the patient with acute viral hepatitis be admitted for hospitalization?

Saturday, January 19th, 2008

Answer:

Older age
Underlying systemic illnesses
Encephalopathy
Ascites
Bilirubin > 15 mg/dL
Hypoglycemia
Social problems that may result in loss to follow-up
Pregnancy
Underlying chronic hepatitis of another etiology
Volume depletion or inability to hold down fluids
Prothrombin time (PT) > 15 sec
Albumin < 3 mg/dL
Worsening PT or bilirubin with improving transaminases = fulminant hepatic failure

Reference: Sleisenger MH, Fordtran JS (eds): Gastrointestinal Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, and [...]

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Question: What is hepatitis G?

Saturday, January 19th, 2008

Answer:
Hepatitis G is an RNA virus that is transmitted primarily through blood and blood products. It frequently occurs as a coinfection with hepatitis C or other hepatitis viruses as a result of common modes of transmission. Currently no data support any role for hepatitis G in chronic or serious liver disease.
Reference:  Sleisenger MH, Fordtran JS [...]

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Question: What is hepatitis E?

Monday, January 14th, 2008

Answer:
Hepatitis E virus (HEV) causes enterically (fecal-oral) transmitted non-A, non-B hepatitis. It is endemic to Southeast and Central Asia, Africa, and Mexico but is rare in the U.S. It is also responsible for large epidemics of acute hepatitis. It is possible that zoonotic HEV infection may occur in areas where animal hosts are abundant, including [...]

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Question: How is hepatitis D virus (delta virus) transmitted?

Monday, January 14th, 2008

Answer:
Hepatitis D virus (HDV) is a very small RNA virus that contains a defective genome and requires HBsAg to become pathogenic. Infection may occur under two circumstances:
1. In conjunction with simultaneous infection with hepatitis B in a previously unexposed patient (coinfection)
2. In the chronic carrier of HBsAg (superinfection).
Hepatitis D is diagnosed by detecting IgM [...]

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