LIVER Flashcards
What are the 3 commonest causes of HEPATOMEGALY?
- Cirrhosis
- Malignancy
- RHF
What are the palpation findings of hepatomegaly caused by liver cirrhosis?
- initially enlarged then decreases in size as cirrhosis progresses
- non tender firm liver
What are the palpation findings of hepatomegaly caused by malignancy?
Hard irregular liver edge
What are the palpation findings of hepatomegaly caused by right heart failure?
Firm, smooth, tender liver edge
May be pulsatile
3 branches of the coeliac trunk?
- left gastric artery
- splenic artery
- common hepatic
2 branches of the common hepatic artery
proper hepatic
& gastro duodenal artery
what artery supplies the liver
hepatic artery proper
what 2 veins drain into the hepatic portal vein
- splenic vein
- superior mesenteric vein
what is the portal triad
- hepatic artery
- portal vein
- common bile duct
list the liver function tests
- Liver enzymes: ALT & AST
- ALP
- GGT
- Bilirubin
- Albumin
- PT/INR
cause of low albumin & high protein
multiple myeloma
cause of low albumin & normal protein
infection
when is jaundice usually detected
when serous bilirubin is above 50 umol/L
what is Haem in RBC broken down into
Biliverdin and then bilirubin
where does conjugation of bilirubin occur?
liver, hepatocytes
where does urobilinogen go?
- oxidised by bacteria in intestine to stercobilin which gives stool its pigmentation
- transported by the blood to the kidney converted to urobilin giving urine its characteristic colour