High-Yield Concepts in Alcoholic Liver Disease (Gastrointestinal Diseases)

Question 1

Most commonly used drug in the US

Answer 1

Alcohol

Question 2

3 major lesions of ALD

Answer 2

Fatty liver, alcoholic hepatitis, cirrhosis

Question 3

Initial and most common histologic response to hepatotoxic stimuli

Answer 3

Fatty liver

Question 4

Most important risk factors for ALD

Answer 4

Quantity and duration of alcohol intake

Question 5

Threshold for developing ALD

Answer 5

Men: >60-80 g/day of alcohol for 10 years
Women: 20-40 g/day

Question 6

Major enzyme responsible for alcohol metabolism

Answer 6

Alcohol dehydrogenase

Question 7

Hallmark of Alcoholic Hepatitis

Answer 7

Hepatocyte injury characterized by ballooning degeneration, spotty necrosis, polymorphonuclear infiltrate, and fibrosis in the perivenular and perisinusoidal space of Disse

Question 8

Zieve’s Syndrome

Answer 8

Hemolytic anemia with spur cells and acanthocytes in patients with severe alcoholic hepatitis

Question 9

Cut-off for poor prognosis in Alcoholic Hepatitis

Answer 9

Discriminant function > 32

Question 10

Cornerstone of ALD treatment

Answer 10

Complete abstinence from alcohol (liver biopsy should not be performed until abstinence maintained for at least 6 months)