Hepatobillary Flashcards
4 connections of the liver to the peritoneum
left triangular
right triangular
coronary ligament
falciform ligament (—> ligamentum teres –> round ligament connects to umbilicus)
Blood supply of the liver
portal vein and the hepatic artery
functions of the liver
- digestion - bile to digest fats
- metabolism (everything from the portal vein, particularly fatty acids –> ATP)
- detoxification
- storage (glycogen, vit KADE, B12, iron and copper)
- Produces: prothrombin, albumin and fibrinogen
- Immunity - produces Kuppfer cells that line the sinusoids, also produces immunoglobulins
- breaks down bilirubin
Kuppfer cells
fixed macrophages part of the mononulcear phagocyte system
digests pathogens from the intestinal circulation
What is on a LFT?
total bilirubin alt ast alt: ast ALP GGT albumin
ALT
Alanine transaminase
raised in cell injury e.g. hepatocytosis / hepatitis
High bilirubin in isolation
Gilbert’s disease
GGT
gamma glutamyl transpepsidase
enzyme produced by the liver
induced by the liver
raised serum GGT in isolation –> indicates drinking
rises the same as ALP in bile duct pathology (but less specific)
ALP
alkaline phosphatase
raised in bile duct pathology
also raised in bony disease - mets/ osteomalcia/ osteoporosis/ growing pains
Other tests in liver pathology
Clotting Viral serology (HBV, HCV, HIV) ESR Urine MSU Ultrasound (elastography - fibroscan) Biopsy MRI ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography_
Complications of ERCP
bleeding
acute pancreatitis
acute cholangitis
Symptoms of liver pathology
Jaundice Bleeding (coagulopathy) RUQ pain Pain radiating to back on digesting fats Oedema/ Ascites Steatorrhoea Dark urine Increased drug toxicity Prone to infections Fatigue Malaise Itching
Spider naevi
common and benign in isolation
more than 3 suggest liver disease
probable presence of oesophageal varices as well
caused by telangiectasis
Signs of liver disease
Clubbing Palmar erythema Dupytrens contracture Hepatic flap Raised JVP Xanthalosmas Scleral jaundice Gynaecomastia Hepatomegaly Splenomegaly Spider naveii Acites (shifting dullness) Peripheral oedema Purpuric rash
Sinusoid
- blood from hepatic artery & portal vein (mixed together)
- lined by hepatocytes and Kupffer cells
Hepatocytes
line sinusoids
make bile acids, bile pigments and cholesterol
–> secreted into canaliculi
Bile acid independent components of bile
produced by ductal cells that line the bile ducts
- stimulated by the hormone secretin
- makes bile alkaline
Journey of bile
stored in the gall bladder
- r/l hepatic duct –> common hepatic duct –> gall bladder
–> cycstic duct –> common bile duct (joined by the pancreatic duct)
- enters the duodenum via ampulla of Vater
Function of bile
- emulsifies fats
- digests fat soluble minerals and vitamins
- excretes bilirubin
- cholesterol homeostasis
- enterohepatic recirculation
Bilirubin cycle
Haem –> uncongugated bilirubin (insoluble, yellow)
- -> conjugated in hepatocytes to glucuronic acid (soluble, green)
- -> biliary tree –> small intestine
–> urobilogen (by bacterial proteases ) excreted in stool (90%) and urine (10% - reabsorbed by portal circulation and is excreted by the kidneys)
Pre-hepatic jaundice
increased breakdown of haemoglobin
- newborn jaundice
- malaria
- haemolytic anaemia
- sickle cell/ beta thalassemia
- polycythemia rubra vera (PCV)
Pre-hepatic jaundice investigations
evidence of haemolysis - on FBC
- slightly elevated LFTs
Hepatic jaundice (unconjugated bilirubin)
impaired bilirubin metabolism
- normally genetic (e.g. Gilberts syndrome)
Hepatic jaundice (conjugated bilirubin)
hepatocyte damage usually with some cholestatis Causes: - Viruses - Drugs - NAFLD - AFLD - Pregnancy - Haemochromatosis - Autoimmune hepatitis
Pale stools and dark urine as excreted as urobilogen
Post hepatic jaundice
impaired hepatic excretion
- cholestatis –> pale stools and dark urine
- primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerososing cholangitis, tumours (pancreatic), pancreatitis, ascending cholangitis, strictures
Fulminant liver failure
massive necrosis of liver cells –> severe impairment of liver function + hepatic encephalopathy
-acute on chronic
Causes of fulminant liver failure
Hepatocellular carcinoma Paracetamol overdose, isoniasid, Reyes syndrome Acute fatty liver of pregnancy Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency Autoimmune hepatitis Wilson's disease Viral hepatits
Hepatic encephalopathy
Causes
Protein metabolism –> alanine –> pyruvate and glutamine
glutamine + NH3 –> glutamate –> urea
Ammonia crosses BBB into astrocytes –> glutatmate –> glutamatine
Glutamine has a strong osmotic affect –> cerebral oedema
Hepatic encephalopathy
Jaundiced patient
Small liver
Clotting dysfunction
- Altered mood/ behaviour, sleep distrubance (reversal of sleep pattern) and dyspraxia. No liver flap.
- increasing drowsiness, confusion, slurred speech and liver flap, inappropriate behaviour/ personality change
- Incoherent, restless, liver flap, stupor,
- Coma
Hepatic encephalopathy investigations
LFT - raised ALT/AST, sky high bilirubin derranged clotting -INR U&E, FBC, glucose, paracetamol level, viral serology EEG CT head Cultures - blood, urine, ascitic fluid
Management of hepatic encephalopathy
Transfer to specialist liver unit
- INR > 3
- Presence of encephalopathy
- Hypotension after fluid resus
- Metabolic acidosis
- Deterioration of prothrombin time
Management of hepatic encephalopathy/ fulminant liver failure
- Assessing for transfer to specialist
- -> if paracetamol OD N-acetyl cysteine - Sepsis
- Manage coagulopathy
- Fluid status
- Blood glucose
consider enemas/ lactulose to reduce nitrogenous producing bacteria
TRANSPLANT
Metabolic liver diseases
- haemachromatosis
- Wilson’s disease
- alpha-1 antitryspin deficiency
Haemachromatosis (hereditary)
one of the most common inherited conditions in europe.
- -> increased absorption of iron, reduced function of transferrin
- accumulates in the liver (as this is where Fe is stored), heart, skin, endocrine tissue –> fibrosis –> cirrhosis
- treat with chelation and regular venesection
Haemachromatosis symptoms
Early –> tiredness, arthralgia
Initial skin bronzing –> slate grey skin
Triad of Bronzed skin (increased melanin), massive hepatomegaly, DM, (hypogonadism, cardiomyopathy/ arrythmias, increased risk of HCC)
Haemochromatosis investigations
Fe and Ferritin
Normal LFTs
Genetic testing
Fibroscan
Haemochromatosis treatment
Venesection 1 unit every 1-3 weeks
Monitor HbA1C
Wilson’s disease
Heptatolenticular degenertaion
rare, recessively inherited disorder
- decreased secretion of copper into biliary system
- reduced incorporation of copper into procaeruloplasmin (precursor of caeruloplasmin)
Symptoms of wilsons disease
copper accumulates in
- liver –>cirrhosis and fulminant liver failure
- basal ganglia of the brain –> parkinsonism & dementia
- cornea –> Kayser-Fleischer rings
- renal tubules
Diagnosis of Wilsons
low total serum copper & caeruloplasmin
increased 24 hr urinary copper excretion
increased copper in a liver biopsy specimen
Treatment of wilson’s disease
Chelation: penicillamine or trientene
Reduce copper absorption: zinc
Liver transplant with end-stage liver disease
Alpha-1 anti-tripsin deficiency
reduced hepatic production of a1-AT (normally inhibits proteolytic enzyme –> neutrophil elastase
- genetic variants medium (M), slow (S) or very slow (z)
Chronic liver disease due to accumulation of abnormal protein in the liver & early onset emphysema
Diagnosis of Alpha-1 anti-tripsin deficiency
low serum a1-AT, genotype assessment
histology: a1-AT containing globules in hepatocytes
Treatment of Alpha-1 anti-tripsin deficiency
as for chronic lung and liver disease
smoking cessation, IV augmentation of a1-AT
Fatty liver disease
alcoholl
steatosis –>
hepatocytes contain macrovesicular droplets of triglycerides
- typically asymptomatic
- may be hepatomegaly
- lab tests normal (may have elevated MCV and gamma GT)
Alcoholic hepatitis
biopsy
ballooned hepatocytes that contain amorphous eosinophillic material –> Mallory bodies
- fibrosis and foamy degeneration of hepatocytes
Clincial features of AFLD
rapid onset jaundice nausea anorexia RUQ pain encephalopathy fever ascities tender hepatomegaly
Investigations of AFLD
FBC- leucocytosis, elevated MCV, thrombocytopenia
Serum Electrolytes- hyponatraemia, elevated serum creatinine indicates hepatorenal syndrome
- LFTs- elevated AST &AKT - disproportionate rise in AST, raised, bilirubin, low serum albumin and prolonged PT
-MC&S
-USS - liver & biliary tree
- Liver biopsy
Management of alcoholic hepatitis
supportive treatment
adequate nutrional intake
corticosteroids (40mg/day for 4 weeks) reduce inflammatory process (CI in renal failure, infection or bleeding)
Alcoholic cirrhosis
- final stage of liver disease from alcohol abuse
- destruction of liver archetcture & fibrosis
regenerating nodules produce micronodular cirrhosis
Pts may be asymptomatic
Primary sclerosing cholangitis
chronic chloestatic liver disease
progressive obliterating fibrosis of intra & extrahepatic ducts –> cirrhosis
- Cholangiocarcinoma in 15% pts
- may be caused by cryptosporidium infection in pts with AIDS
- raised ALP
Symptoms of PSC (primary sclerosing cholangitis
pruritus, jaundice or cholangitis
60% ANCA positive