Liver Flashcards
liver faliure defornition
large parts of the liver become damaged beyond repair and don’t work anymore. It is liver failure without any underlying older liver disease. It has coagulopathy (derangement of clotting), and altered levels of consciousness dur to hepatic encephalopathy, and jaundice.
Chronic Liver faliure - a result of decompensation of chronic liver disease
liver faliure key presintations
- Hepatic encephalopathy - confusion, coma, liver flap (tremor of extended wrist), drowsiness cased by aonia building up in the brian and being a neurotoxin. It cases astrocyte to clear the ammonia using glutamine which leads to an osmotic imbalance and cerebral oedema
- Abnormal bleeding (clotting factors absent)
- Ascites
Jaundice
liver faliure viral cuases
Virus:
- Hep A B D E C
- Cytomegalovirus
- EBV
Herpes simplex virus
liver faliure dug causes
Drugs
- - paracetamol
- Alcohol
- Antidepressants
- NSAIDs
- Ecstasy/cocaine
Antibiotics
4 main causes of liver faliure
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Wilsons disease
drugs
virusus
sign and symptoms of liver faliure
Jaundice
Ascities
Small liver
Hepatic encephalopathy
Fetor hepaticus - foul egg smelling breath
Bruising
Clubbing cereberal osdema
Fever
Vomiting
tests for liver faliure
Bloods
- Hyperbilirubinemia
- High serum ALT and AST (hepatic enzymes tha when raised suggest liver disease)
- Low levels of coagulation factors
- Low glocuse
- High amonia
ECG
Ultrasound
treatment for liver faliure
Treat the causes - if paracetamol overdose give N-acetyl-cystine
If there is signs od ICP (intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy) give IV Mannitol
Liver transplant
complications of liver faliure
Malnutrition
Coagulopathy (cuase bleeding out)
Endocrine changed
Hypoglycemia
If there is advanced encephelopathy then an airway must be established
Alcoholic liver disease pathophysiology
FATTY LIVER:
Metabolism of alcohol produces fat in the liver
This means that the cells become swollen with fat
Sometimes collagen is laid down around the fat deposits which causes cirrhosis
Alcohol effects stellate cells ad turns them into collagen productid myofibroblast cells
ALCHOLIC HEPATITIS
There is an infiltration of polymorphonuclear leukocytes and hepatocyte necrosis. This inflammation can turn into cirrhosis. This causes the Prescence of mallary bodies and giant mitochondria.
ALCOHOLIC CIRRHOSIS
Micronodular type accompanying fatty change.
It is a pathway.
Reduced NAD+ and increased NADH leads to less oxidisation of fat so there is more of a build-up which leads to an accumulatino of fat.
The acetaldehyde damages the liver cell membranes.
This leads to inflammation and cirrhosis.
Alcoholic liver disease signs and symptoms
Jaundice
Hepatomegally
Ascites
Right upper quadrent pain
N&V
Diahoria
Alcoholic liver disease test
1st line test
Liver function test - GGT and ALP raised
AST and ALT - increased ratio
FBC - thrombocytosis
Hypoglyceamia
Abdominal ultrasound
CT
MRI
Liver biopsy
Alcoholic liver disease treat,etn
Alcohol abstinince -
Seizire, insomnia, cvomiign, headache, sweating, palpitations, - treat with diazepam
IV thiamine - to prevent wernike-koraskoff syndrome (B1 deficancy) the symptoms of which are confusion, ataxia, nystagmous
Diet high in vitamins and protines
Liver transplant
Alcoholic liver disease compliations
Cirrhosis
Faliure
Encephalopathy
non alcoholic fatty liver disease causes
Affects individuls awoth metabolic syndromes:
* obesity
* Htn
* Diabeties
* Hyperlpidemia
hypertriglyceridemia
pathophysiology and types of non alcoholic fatty liver disease
There is a fat accumulation in the liver
There are two types:
* NAFL - steatosis (fat inflatration) without inflamation * NASH - non alcoholic steatohepatisis - teatosis wit hepatic inflammation, this is indistinguishable firm alcoholic version. This is worse than NAFL. NASH leads to cryptogenic cirrhosis which impairs liver function. You need a biopsy to distinguish between the two
non alcoholic fatty liver disease symptoms
Asymptomatic
Sometimes a liver ache
Fatigue and malaise
RUP pain
Jaundice
Hepatomegaly
Ascities
non alcoholic fatty liver disease tests
LFT - elevated, raised ALT and AST due to destruction of the liver
Ultrasoud
CT
MRI
Liver biopsy
rule out other causes and then it can lead to a diagnosis with teh LFT
non alcoholic fatty liver disease tx
Weight loss
Avoid a fatty diet
Statins
out of teh 5 viral hepatitis, are they DNA or RNA, and are they acute or chronic?
A
RNA virus
Only acute.
This is notifiable disease!!!!!
B
DNA Virus
Acute and chronic
C
RNA flavivirus
acute and chronic
D
Incomplete RNA
Acute and chronic
Requires B for assembly
E
RNA virus
Acute only apart form sometime chronic in immunosuppressed
hep a pathophysiology
It is a picornavirus
It replicates in the liver and is excreted in the bile and faeces for 2 weeks before clinical illness and 7 days after
Its maximally infections just before onset of jaundice
2-6 week incubation period
ACTUTE HEP only
hep a key presintations
Key presentations
There are tow stages:
- Pre-icteric - constitutional symptoms (feelings of beieng genrally unwell such as fever, fatigue, anorexia, night sweate, malaise) and abdominal pain
- Icteric - jaundice, hepatomegally, RUQ pain, priutus
hep a tests
Tests
- Antibody test - initial one is anti-HAV IgM, and then Anti-HAV IgGis made
- Raised serum bilirubin
- Bloods - reduced WBC
- Raised ESR - erythrocyte sedimentation rate faster sinkage means higher levels of inflamation
- Serum transaminases will be elevated
- Raised urea and creatine
hep a differential
Differential diagnosis
Other causes of jaundice
Viral and drug induced hepatitis
hep a manegemtn
Management
Initial
Secondary
- Supportive treatment and monitoring
- Moniter liver function tests
- Peimary prevention - Hep A vaccination
- Management fo close contacts with the HNIG vaccine
Hep B causes
Semen and saliva so sexually transmitter
Blood bore as well
Needle stick, tatoos
Sexual
IV drig users
Vertical transmission mother to child
Hep B pathophysiology
DNA virus which has an inner core and outer antigens
It can lead to chric infectio which can cuases cirrhosis and cancer!
There is a relase of IgM antibody first and then
Hep B key presintations
It is commonly asymptomaic
Hepatomegally
Ascities
Fever
Jaundice
Malaise
N&V
RUQ pain
Hep B tests
Antibody tests - Hep B surface antigen HBsAg present 1-6 months after exposure.
HBsAg oprescne for more than 6 onths implies that theyre a carrier
Anti-HBs - antibodues to Hep B
LFTs - elevated ALT and AST due to damage, low albumin levels
Hep B treatment
Acute - Supportive -
* moniter LFTs
* Tenofovir, entecarvir (antivirals) (Interferon alpha, nucleoside reverse transcriptase inhibitors (NRTI)
* Mangae the contacts of the person
Chronic -
* Peginterferon alfa-2a - aform of recombinant interferon used as part of combination therapy to treat chronic Hepatitis by decreasin gteh levels of the virus in the body, there are side effects lie autoimmune diseases, mental helath problems, low WBC and platelts
* Nucleoside analogues – tenofovir, entecavir, thes are lifelong antivirals to reduce the levels
Hep B and C complications
Liver cirrhosis, hepatocellular carcinoma,
Hep C causes
There are 7 genotypes, and there is rapod mutaiot which makes it hatrd ot make a vaccine
Vhronic hepatitis makes it hard to make a vaccine.
It is incubated for 6-7 week sbut tehn is a liflong infection
Hep C key presintations
- constitutional symptoms
- jaundice
- ascites
signs of hepatic encephalopathy
Hep C test
- HCV antibody test - if not detected they’ve not had it, if detetced they have been exposed at some pint
- HCV RNA - if detected they have the cirus currently, if not it is not current
- LFT - raised ALT and AST
Hep C treatment
- Interferon alpha - ribavirin
- Ther eis no HVC vaccine available!!!
- Liver transplant in the case of liver failure
- Direct oral acting antivirals (DAAs) Daklinza, Exviera, Harvoni, Olysio, Sovaldi and Viekirax
- NS5A (-asvir), NS5B (-buvir) and NS3/4A protease (-previr) inhibitors
A previous c infection doent mean immunity
Hep D pathophysiology
It is unable to reproduce on its own but is actiatedy HepB
If there is a coinfection it incraess the severity og the infection
It is clinically indistuinguishable
There is coinfection where they are acquired at the same time - leads to bad acute stage and prescent oc bother IhM anti-HDV
Superinfection - when someone with chronic HBV gets Hdv - it cuases a secondary acute hepatitus which an incrased rate of liver fibrosis pregression
Hep D risk factors
Blood bone
Healthcare
Dialysis #
Grug
Travellers
Hep D symptoms
It is commonly asymptomaic
Hepatomegally
Ascities
Fever
Jaundice
Malaise
N&V
RUQ pain
Hep D test
Antibody test - if the antibod is positive test for HDV RNA to see if it’s a curret infection.
Hep D treatment
pegylated interferon-α (future: Myrcludex B)
HBV vaccine
Hep E causes
Feacooral route
In uncooked pork
Hep E symptoms
- Maily asymptomatic
- Ususlaly self limiting
- Fulminant hepatasis - severe liver imparement cuases hepatic coma, liver necrosis
- Sometimes extrahepatic symptos - neurological
- When chronic there is rapid pregression to cirrhosis and fibrosis
- Constitutional symptoms
Fatty stools, dark urine, jaundice
Hep E test
Serology – HEV antibodies
Nucleic acid amplification test
LFT - ALT and AST increased
Hep E treatmetn
Supportive manegment
* If they develop fuliment hepatitis, ribavrin and liver transplant
Hronic infection - reverse immunospupression if positble (steriods), if HEV RNA prescence persists treat with RIBA ( an antiviral)
autoimmune hepatitis types
ƒ Type 1: 80% of cases
ƒ Type 2: most common in young
biologically-female individuals
ƒ Type 3: different antibodies but presents as
Type 1
ƒ Type 4: no detectable antibodies
autoimmune hepatitis key presintations
Wide specturm presintation raging from asynmptomatic to cirrhosis and liver faliure
Common moderate symptoms - fever, jaundice, hepatosplenomegally
Chronic diseases symptoms:
Hashimotos thyroiditis, graves disease
autoimmune hepatitis tests
- Type 1 – anti-nuclear antibody (ANA), anti-smooth muscle antibody (ASMA)
- Type 2 – anti-LKM-1 or anti-liver cytosolic-1 (anti-LC-1) antibodies
- Liver biopsy
LTF - raised ALT and AST, low albumin
autoimmune hepatitis treatment
mmunisurpresants
cirrhosis defornition
Not a specific disease but it’s the end stage of all progressive chronic liver disease which when fully developed is irreversible and has signs of portal hypertension and liver failure. There is loss of normal hepatic architecture, nodular regeneration and bridging fibrosis.
cirrhosis causes
Most common:
* Chronic alcohol abuse
* Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
* Hep B&D
* Hep C
- Primary biliary cirrhosis
- Autoimmune hepatitis – presents as high ALT
- Hereditary haemochromatosis (iron overload)
- Wilson’s disease
- Alpha-Antitrypsin deficiency
- Drugs e.g. amiodarone and methotrexate
cirrhosis risk factors
Viral hepatitis
Chronic alcohol abuse
Obesity
cirrhosis pathophysiology
Chronic liver results in inflammation, matric depostion necrosis and angiogenesis and fibrosis
The necrosed cell release cell contents and the stellate cells release cytokines which attracft neutrophills and macrophage sto the lver which causes further inflamation and fibrosis
There is a severee reduction in liver function as fibrosis is non functioning
cirrhosis types
Two types of cirrhosis:
* Micronodular - regenerating nodules <3mm in size with uniform involvement, often caused bu alcohol or billarary tract infections
* Macronodular - nodules of varying size, and normal acini may be seen in larger nodules - causes by viral hepatitis!
There is also compensated and decompensated.
* Compensated - asymptomatic, non-specific such as weight loss, fatigue and weakness.
* Decompensated - jaundice, Prituis, Abdominal pain, Ascites
cirrhosis signs
- Bruising
- Leukonychia - white discoleration on the naile due ot hypoalbumineamia
- Clubbing of the fingers
- Palmar erythema - red plams of the hands
- Spider naevi - small clusters of blood vessles that show up
- Dupuytresn contracture
- Xanthelasma - yellow fat deposits under skin usually around eyelids
- Ascites
- Jaundice
Oedema due to decreased albumin
cirrhosis test
Liver biopsy
LFT - serum albumin, increased PT time, raised billirubin, asperate amino transferase, alanine aminotransferase
Liver biochemistry
FBC - low plateltes (loss of thrombopoeitin)
Abdominal CT and mRI
Upper GI edocscopy
cirrhosis treatment
Treat the cause : Alcohol abstinance
Antoviral for hep B
Spiralactone for ascities
Liver transplant
Good nutrition
6 month ultrasound for hepotocellular carcinoma
cirrhosis complications
Fall in clotting factors
Encephalopathy - liver flap when amonia causes problems in the brain
Thrombocytopenia
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Hypoalbunineamia
Portal hypertension
Ascities
Oesophageal varacies
what is decompensated liver
Decompensated liver cirrhosis:
Jaundice
Ascites
Variceal haemorrhage secondary to portal hypertension
Hepatic encephalopathy
Treatment: treat the symptoms for mannitol, liver transplant
what is prehepatic jaundice
Prehepatic
* There is an incrased breakdown of Hb leading to unconjugated billirubin
* There is increased unconjugated billirubin
* Normal stools and urine
There is mre heamolysis due to aneamia
what hepatic jaundice
Hepatic
* Faliure of the hepatocytes to take up and metabolise the billirubin
* Dark urine and pale stools
* Hepatitis,m drugs, alcohol cirrhosis
what is post hepatic juandice
Posthepatic
* Obstruction in the billary sytem (gallstone)
* Increased conjugated billirubin
* Dark urin and pale stools
* Gallsotnes, pancreatitis (the head blocks the CBD)
what are teh investigations for jaundice
Investigations
* History
Dark urine, pale stools, itching?
Symptoms
Biliary pain
Rigors – shivering
Abdomen swelling
Weight loss
Past history
Biliary disease/intervention
Malignancy
HF
Blood products
Autoimmune disease
Drug history – drugs/herbs started recently
Social history
Alcohol
Potential hepatitis contact
Irregular sex
IVDU
Exotic travel
Certain foods
Family history/system review – rarely helpful
* Liver enzymes - very high AST/ALT suggests liver disease (some exceptions)
* Biliary obstruction – 90% have dilated intrahepatic bile ducts on ultrasound
* Further imaging
○ CT
○ Magnetic resonance cholangiogram (MRCP)
○ Endoscopic retrograde cholangiogram (ERCP)
Wernicke’s encephalopathy defornition
Acute deficiency of thiamine in a susceptible host, there are neuropsychiatric manifestations such as consciousness, eye movement, gait and balance. Three is mental status chane and gait and occular motor dysfunction.
If it is not treated it will turn into korsakiff syndorem which is chronic.
Wernicke’s encephalopathy risk factors
Conditions that prediposose malnutrition - aids, cnace, d&V
Wernicke’s encephalopathy key presintations
Mental slowing
Impaired concentration, apathy
Frank confusion
Ocular motor finding
Wernicke’s encephalopathy tests
Theraputic trial of parenteral thiamine
Finger prick glicse
FBC
Serum electrolytes
CT f the brain
MRI of the brain
what is teh mnumonic for wernikes and korsakoff
COAT RACK
wernickes is COAT
Confusion
Opthaalomoplegia
Ataxia
thiamine deficancy
Korsikoff is RACK
Retrograde amnesia
anterograde amnesia
confabulation
korsacoff syndrome!
Wernicke’s encephalopathy manegemtnet
B1 - injectino of pabrinex
they will pfen present as hypoglyceamic but you MUST give pabrinex first otherwise they will die!!!
Hepatic encephalopathy defornition
Neuropsychiatic syndrome cuased b acute or chronic helpatic insurficancy
Hepatic encephalopathy pathophysiology
There is impareid amonia clearance due to damage in eh liver. This cuases amonia to cross the blood brain barrier leading to glutimate to all be used up causeign the brain to malfunction
Hepatic encephalopathy key presintations
Liver flap
Sleep dosturbancs
Ataxia
Motor distrubances
Jaundice
Peripheral oedema
Heaptomegal
Spider angiomatea
Palmar erthythrma
Hepatic encephalopathy tests
LFTs
Serum glucose
U and Es
FBC
Blood alcohol level
Blood amonia level
Potenitally a head CT
hepatic encephalopathy treatment
Treat the cause - what is casing the liver faliure- alcohol, paracetamol hypovolemia, infections.
Prtoien resticed diet
Lactulose - a laxative which draws amonia from the blood into the colon to be excreted
Rifaximin
Korsakoff syndrome defonition
A memory diorder that results form vit B1 deficentcy and is associated ith alcoholism. It damages the cells in the brain.
Korsakoff syndrome key presintations
Amnesia
Tremor
Coma
Disorientation
Vision problems
Korsakoff syndrome treatment
B1
Pancreatic cancer epidemiology
99% of the pancreases cancer are form the exocrine component
More comm in men and useually occus after 60
adenocarcinoma (formed from glandular tissue) and are of ductal origin
Pancreatic cancer risk factors
- Smoking
- Excessive alcohol or coffee
- Aspirin
- Diabetes
- Genetic mutation
Family history
Pancreatic cancer pathophysiology
Pre malignant lesions to full invasive cancer
60% arise in pacreatic head, 25% in the body and 15% in the tail
If it is in the head it can compress the bile duct and lead to obstructive jaundice
They tend to metastasis early, particularaly to the liver
Very bad prognosis of 5 year <25%
Pancreatic cancer courvoisiers sign
Coursosicirs law states that a palpable gallbladder and jaundice is unlikely to be gllastonesm its more like to be cholangiocarcinoma ot pancreatic cancer
Pancreatic cancer trousseaus sign of malignancy
Trousseaus sign of malignacy is that migratory thrombophlebitis is a sign of malignancy, particularly in pancreatic cancer. Thrombophlebitis is where blood vessels become inflamed wih a blood blot form the area, migratory refert to the blood clot moving over time.
Pancreatic cancer key presintations
- Anorexia
- Weight loss
- Pancreatitis
- Change in bowel habits
- Nausea and vomiting
Body and tail:
* Epigastric pain in the back the is relieved by sitting fore awards
Head:
* Painless jaundice - yellow skin, pale stools, dark urine, itching
Weight loss
pancreatic cancer test
- Abdominal ultrasound
- If over 40 with jaundice refer for 2 weeks
- If >60 with weight loss and an additional symptom of (diahorrhea, back pain, abdominal pain, nausea, vomiting, constipation, new onset diabeties) refer for a DIRECT CT SCARN
- Imaging o a CT sca
- Histology biopsy
- CA 19-9 (carbohydrate antigen) is a tumour marker that may be raised in pancreatic cancer. It is also raised in cholangiocarcinoma and a number of other malignant and non-malignant conditions.
- Magnetic resnance cholangio pacreatography - MRCP my be used t asses the billary system in detail
ERCP - to put in a stent and relieve obstruction, also to obtian a biopsy
pancreatic cancer tx
- Surgery to recover tumour
- Total pancreatectomy
- Distal pancreatectomy
- Pylorus preserving pancreaticoduodenectomy (modified Whipple)
Radical pancreaticoduodenectomy (Whipple procedure)
In most cases it is palliate care that is needed, stents to relieve biliary obrution surgery to improve symptoms, chemotherapy nd radiotherapy, symptom control.
what would you do if a patient has worsening diabeties despite good medication and lifesytle?
If someone has rapidly worsening diabetes T2 despite good lifestyle and measures it can be pancreatic CANCER!!!
hepatocellular cancer defornition
Primary is when it develops in the liver and secondary is when it has metastasised to the liver, there is a poor prognosis for when there are liver metastasis.
hepatocellular cancer risk factors
The main risk factor is liver cirrhosis due to:
* Viral hep Banc C
* Alcohol
* Non alcoholic fatty lover disease
Chronic liver disease
hepatocellular cancer key presintations
Asymptomatic for a long time with a lat presentation which often means a poor prognosis.
Non-specific symptoms:
* Weight loss
* Abdominal pain
* Anorexia
* N&V
* Jaundice
Priutus
hepatocellular cancer first line tests
- Alpha-fetoprotein is a tumour marker for hepatocellular carcinoma.
- Liver ultrasound to find tumours
- CT and MRI for diagnosis and staging of tumours
hepatocellular cancer treatment
- Resection of early disease
- Kinase inhibitors - sorafenib, regorafenib, Lenvatinib
- Chemo (TACE) and radiotherapy for palliative treatment
Liver transplant if it is contained
what is heamangioma
Heamangioma - benign tumours of the liver that have no symptoms and arent cancerous
what is focal nodular hyperplasia
Focla nodular hyperplasia - benign liver tumour made of fibrotic tissue - often foun incidentallu it asyptomatic and has no malignant potential
Cholangiocarcinoma defornition
Cancer of the cells of the bile ducts
Cholangiocarcinoma key presintations
Painless jaundice
Cholangiocarcinoma risk factors
It is heavily associaed woth primary sclerosing cholanigitis but only 10% of patiens with cholangiocarcinoma had primary sclerosing cholangitis
Cholangiocarcinoma tests
CA19-9 is a tumour marker for cholangiocarcinoma.
ERCP can be used to take biopsies to diagnose cholangiocarcinoma
Cholangiocarcinoma treatment
- Surgical resection, but overall poor prognosis
- ERCP can be used to stent the bile duct to allow for the drainage of bile
Resistant to chemo and radio
what are teh classifications of herinas
Classifications:
* Reduicable -can be pushed bac in with manula mavouvering
* Irriducable - cannor be pushed back in
- obstructed, the opening is too small for it to go back in
- incarcerated - the hernia is stuck by adhesions so can’t go back in
* Strangulated - blood supply is cut off resulting in ischiamia, gangree and perforation of contetns
what are the causes of hernias forming
Causes - heavy lifting, pregnancy, trauma, age, constipation/straining
surgery tp fix hernias
- Surgery to fix hernias - the bowel is pushed back in and then it is stitched up and there is a mecsh pt over ot sto it from coming though again.
what is a hernia
- Hernia - Protrusion of an organ or tissue out the cavity it normally lies in.
what are is a direct and an indierct hernia
Direct - protrudes through the back wall of the inguinal canal die to heavy lifting and straining, this is less common and rarely strangulates
Indirect - protrudes through the inguinal ring, congenital, 80% of inguinal hernias and can causes strangulation
inguinal hernia risk factors
- Most common form of hernia
- More common in males
- 70% of all abdominal hernias
- Men over 40!!!!
- Chronic cough
- Ascites
Heavy lifting
inguinal hernia pathophysiology
- The inguinal canal allows structures to pass from the abdomen into the external genetalia
Hesslecachs traingle is the albdominal wall weakness for a direct hernia - RIP - rectus abdominas, inferior epigastic, pouparts ligament (inguinal ligamnet)