Gastroenterology Flashcards
Cause of Acute Liver failure ??
PCM overdose
Viral Hepatitis (A or B)
Alcohol
Acute Fatty Liver of Pregnancy
Look for the Following
- Jaundice. - Hypoalbuminaemia
- Coagulopathy: Raised PTT
- Hepatic encephalopathy
- Renal failure (Hepato-renal synd.)
Most accurate test to assess the synthetic function of liver ??
Prothrombin time & Albumin level
(LFT do not always accurately reflect the synthetic function of liver)
Causes of Hepatosplenomegaly ??
- Chr. Liver disease + Portal HTN
- Late stages of Cirrhosis are a/w small liver
- Infection: Glandular Fever, Malaria, Hepatitis
- Lymphoproliferative disorders
- Myeloproliferative disorders eg. CML
- Amyloidosis
What are the main causes of cirrhosis ??
Alcohol; NAFLD; Viral Hepatitis (B & C)
Dx
Transient Elastography
- aka Fibroscan
- Uses 50 MHz wave, passes into the liver from a small transducer
- Measures ‘Stiffness’ of liver which is a proxy for fibrosis
- Acoustic Radiation force impulse imaging
What screening test is done in NAFLD to rule out Cirrhosis ??
- Enhanced Liver Fibrosis Score is done to screen for pts. who need further testing
What Ix are done in Cirrhosis ??
Transient Elastography is indicated in
- Hep. C infection
- Men takes > 50U of [-OH] per week
- Women takes > 35U [-OH] per week
- Diagnosed with [-OH] related disease
Upper GI Endoscopy (to check for varices in newly Dx pts.)
Liver USS every 6 months +/- AFP to check for HCC
What scoring system is used in pts. with Cirrhosis ??
Child-Pugh was used before but now MELD- Model for End-Stage Liver Disease has been increasingly used
- MELD uses Bilirubin, Creatinine & INR to predict survival
MELD= 3.78[Bilirubin mg/dl] + 11.2[INR] + 9.57*[Cr mg/dl] + 6.43
What is formulae to calculate MELD score
MELD =
3 months mortality based on MELD score
- >=40 : 71.3% mortality
- 30- 39 : 52.6%
- 20- 29 : 19.6%
- 10- 19 : 6%
- <9 : 1.9%
Features of Autoimmune Hepatitis ??
Commonly seen in Young Females
- a/w Autoimmune disorders, Hypergammaglobulinaemia & HLA B8, DR3
- Signs of Chr. Liver Disease
- Acute Hepatitis: Fever, Jaundice (25% cases)
- Secondary AMENORRHOEA
- Liver Biopsy: Inflammation beyond limiting plate ‘Pincemeal Necrosis’, Bridging Necrosis
Name the types of Autoimmune Hepatitis
Classified based on the Antibody-
Type 1:
- ANA & Anti-SMA (+)ve
- Affects BOTH Adults & Children
Type 2:
- Anti-Liver/Kidney Microsomal Type 1 antibody (LKM1)
- Affects ONLY Children
Type 3:
- Soluble Liver-Kidney Antigen
- Affects Adults in Middle-age
What is Rx. for Autoimmune Hepatitis ??
- Steroids & other Immunosuppressants eg.- Azathioprine
- Liver Transplantation
What is PSC ??
Biliary disease of unknown cause
- Inflammation & Fibrosis of INTRA- & EXTRA- Hepatic Bile duct
C/F
- Cholestasis: Jaundice, Pruritus
- Raised Bilirubin + ALP
- RUQ pain
- Fatigue
Ix. & Complication of PSC ??
ERCP or MRCP: Multiple Biliary Strictures giving ‘Beaded’ appearance
pANCA may be (+)ve
Biopsy: Limited role, shows Fibrosis, Obliterative Cholangitis- ‘Onion skin’
Complications
- Cholangiocarcinoma (10% cases)
- Increased risk of COLORECTAL Ca
What is PBC ??
Chr. liver disorder + Middle aged Females (9x MC than in men)
- Autoimmune cause
Chr. Inflammation => INTERLOBULAR Bile duct => Progressive Cholestasis => Cirrhosis
C/F of PBC ??
Classic presentation: Itching + Middle aged woman
- Early: Asymptomatic (eg. raised ALP) or Fatigue, Pruritus
- CHOLESTATIC Jaundice
- Hyperpigmentation (at pressure points)
- RUQ pain (10% of cases)
- Xanthelasma, Xanthomata
- Clubbing, Hepatosplenomegaly
- Late: progress to Liver Failure
How to Dx. PBC ??
AMA- M2 is (+)ve & is highly specific
SMA antibody (30% cases)
Raised S. IgM levels
Imaging
- USS (RUQ) or MRCP: Required before Dx. to exclude Extrahepatic Biliary obstruction
Rx. & Complications of PBC ??
1st line: URSODEOXYCHOLIC Acid
- Slows disease progression & improves symptoms
Pruritus: CHOLESTYRAMINE
- Give Fat soluble Vit. supplements
Liver Transplantation
- If Bilirubin > 100
- Recurrence in graft can occur
COMPLICATIONS
- Cirrhosis => Portal HTN => Ascites, Variceal bleeds
- Osteomalacia & Osteoporosis
- HCC (20x increased risk)
Mention the associations of
- PSC
- PBC
PSC
- UC : 4% pts., with UC have PSC, 80% of pts., with PSC have UC
- Crohn’s (less common than in UC)
- HIV
PBC
- Sjogren’s disease (upto 80% cases)
- RA. - Systemic Sclerosis
- Thyroid disease
What is Alcoholic Liver Disease ??
ALD covers a spectrum of conditions
- Alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease
- Alcoholic Hepatitis
- Cirrhosis
Investigations:
- GGT is characteristically elevated
- AST : ALT of > 3 suggests Acute Alcoholic Hepatitis
Rx. of Alcoholic Liver Disease ??
Acute episodes of Alcoholic hepatitis
- GCs (Prednisolone)
MADDREY’S Discriminant Func. (DF) is often used during Acute episodes to determine the benefits of GC therapy
- Calculated by using PCC & Bilirubin
PENTOXYPHYLLINE is also used
- Prednisolone improves survival at 28 days
- Pentoxyphylline doesn’t improve outcomes
What is Alcoholic Ketoacidosis ??
Non-Diabetic Euglycaemic form of Ketoacidosis
- Binge drinks & Vomiting food => Starvation
- Malnourished => [-OH] binge => Fat breakdown => Ketones produced => Ketoacidosis
C/F & Rx. of Alcoholic Ketoacidosis ??
Typically presents with
- Met. Acidosis
- Elevated Anion Gap
- Elevated S. Ketone levels
- Normal/ Low Glucose conc.
Treatment:
- Infusion of Saline & Thiamine
What is NAFLD ??
Hepatic manifestation of Metabolic syndrome & Insulin resistance is thought to be the key machanism
MCC of Liver Disease in Developed world; largely caused by Obesity & the disease spectrum ranges from
- Steatosis: Fat in liver
- Steatohapatitis: Fat + Inflammation (NASH)
- Progressive disease may cause fibrosis & liver cirrhosis
What is NASH ??
Describes the Liver changes similar to those seen in Alcoholic Hepatitis without H/o Alcohol abuse
- Progression of disease in pts. with NASH => previously known as CRYPTOGENIC Cirrhosis