Liver Flashcards
Acute liver failure Chronic liver disease and cirrhosis
Which condition is associated with SBP (spontaneous bacterial peritonitis)
Common in ascites caused by hepatic cirrhosis
Someone has poor liver function. Name two liver function tests and what changes will occur in disease
Increased PT
Decreased albumin
Which cells release ALT and AST
hepatocytes
Which cells release GGT and ALP
bile ductal cells
Name five causes of cirrhosis/chronic liver disease
- alcohol
- Hep B/C
- NAFLD
- autoimmune hepatitis
- haemochromatosis
- wilson’s disease
- PBC
- PSC
- alpha1 antitrypsin
- Drugs
How can alcoholic causes of cirrhosis be diagnosed?
thorough history + increased AST and ALT, ratio 2:1 (approx)
Which cause of cirrhosis is the only one associated with a higher AST to ALT ratio
alcohol induced
Which cells are damaged as a result of alcohol excess
hepatocytes, therefore incr ALT and AST
What are the risk factors for Hep B and C?
blood exposure e.g. needles, tattoos, IV drugs, blood transfusion
sexual
vertical
geography
Which cell is does hep B/C target in the liver? Which biomarkers are raised?
hepatocytes, raised ALT ++ raised AST +
Name three risk factors for NAFLD
central obesity, diabetes, hyperlipidaemia
Which LFTs are raised in NAFLD?
AST + ALT ++
What are the components of autoimmune hepatitis screen?
ANA/ASA, IgG
+liver biopsy
In which organs can ferritin be deposited in haemorchromatosis?
liver, pancreas, heart, skin, joints, gonads
What are the complications of ferritin storage in the affected organs?
pancreas- diabetes, heart- cardiomyopathy, skin- bronzing, joints- arthritis, gonads- infertility
What is the treatment for haemochromatosis?
venesection
A 23 year old patient presents with a tremor. Which liver related disease could be causing this?
wilson’s disease. copper can deposit and sequester in basal ganglia, resulting in tremor
Ceruloplasmin test is a diagnostic test for which disease?
Wilson’s disease
Which liver cells does PBC affect? What are the affected LFTs?
SMALL ductal cells. Incr GGT and ALP.
What is the pathophysiology of PBC?
Autoimmune destruction of small bile ducts due to granulomas, obstructing flow of bile
What is the treatment for PBC?
liver transplant
How does PSC compare to PBC?
PSC affects both small and large bile ducts. PBC is autoimmune while PSC is not.
Which LFTs are raised in PSC?
GGT and ALP
In alpha1 antitrypsin deficiency, are the lungs or liver affected first?
lungs
Which drugs can cause cirrhosis?
methotrexate and isoniazid
What are the categories of causes of jaundice?
Pre-hepatic, intrahepatic (failure to conjugate bilirubin in a damaged/inflamed liver or excrete it into bile ducts), and post-hepatic
Causes of pre-hepatic jaundice?
hereditary spherocytosis, DIC, G6PD, autoimmune, infection (malaria)
Causes of intrahepatic jaundie?
decompensated liver disease/cirrhosis (NAFLD, alcohol, viral)
Acute liver injury (viral)
Drugs
Gilbert’s
Causes of post-hepatic jaundice?
obstruction of large bile ducts: cholangitis, chlangiocarcinoma, pancreatic mass, cancer
drug or pregnancy induced cholestasis
autoimmune disease (PBC, PSC)
Jaundice and breathlessness. Which cause of jaundice are they likely to have?
pre-hepatic (symptoms of anaemia)
Pale stools, dark urine. Which cause of jaundice?
post-hepatic
Painless jaundice in elderly patient with weight loss. What is the likely cause?
pancreatic malignancy
Will bilirubin be positive in dipstick of biliary obstruction, hepatic disease, and haemolytic disease?
positive in obstruction and hepatic disease but not haemolytic disease
Which clinical findings on examination would be indicative of decompensated liver disease?
jaundice, shifting dullness/ascites, confusion, asterexis, GI bleeding
Why would you look at U&Es when investigating decompensated liver disease?
risk of hepatorenal syndrome, acute renal failure can complicated hepatic function
Why would you check CRP in decompensated liver disease?
infection can often trigger decompensation
Which investigations form part of a liver screen?
- Alpha fetoprotein
- Hepatitis screen
- ANA
- alpha 1 antitrypsin
- ceruloplasmin
- iron studies
- coeliac disease
- TFTs
- HIV screen
Why would you conduct alpha fetoprotein blood test?
liver tumour marker
Why would you test for ceruloplasmin?
wilson’s disease
Why would you do iron studies in jaundiced patient?
to rule out haemochromatosis
Why would you do an asicitic tap?
to ID spontaneous bacterial sponitinits
Name three causes of hepatic encephalopathy?
sepsis, constipation, medications, dehydration, bleeding
Which antibiotic to reduce the risk of recurrent hepatic encephalopathy?
rifaximin
What is SAAG?
serum-ascites albumin gradient
If SAAG> 11g/L, what will the likely cause of ascites be?
portal hypertension
Why do liver disease patients have low platelets?
portal hypertension results in splenomegaly and platelet sequestration
Name three reasons why liver disease patients at high risk of bleeding?
prolonged INR due to failing synthetic liver function
Low platelets
Oesophageal and gastric varices
What is the management of bleeding in liver disease patient?
vit K withhold anticoag/NSAIDs Endoscopy? HDU? Abx- reduces mortality
Which two scores stratify the risk of bleeding?
glasgow blatchford and rockall score
Patient with IgM and mitcochondrial antibody (AMA). Which condition do they have?
primary biliary cholangitis
Patient ANCA positive + jaundice. Which condition is likely causing this?
primary sclerosing cholangitis
ANA, ASMA positive, raised IgG. Which condition is causing their jaundice?
autoimmune hepatitis
What is the mode of inheritance of haemochromatosis?
autosomal recessive
Where can iron be deposited in haemochromatosis?
liver, pancreas, heart, joints, skin, pituitary
Which extraheaptic clinical manifestations of haemochromatosis are reversible?
skin discolouration
cardiomyopathy
hepatomegaly
Which extrahepatic clinical manifestations of haemochromatosis are irreversible?
hepatocellular carcinoma arthropathy hypopituitarism diabetes cirrhosis
Patient with ascites. Which abx should you commence?
coamoxiclav
What are the signs of de-compensated liver cirrhosis?
asicites, encephalopathy, jaundice, coagulopathy, hypotensive