Liver and Gall Bladder Disease Flashcards
What is portal circulation?
Blood from gut (portal circulation) but is oxygen poor and nutrient rich
FLOWS INTO LIVER
What system flows out of the liver? Explain it
Bile squashed into gut to help digest food
Bile salts form primary and 2ndry bile acids which are reabsorbed to conserve energyj
BILIARY SYSTEM FLOWS OUT OF LIVER
Microanatomical features of the liver?
Lobules with a central hepatic vein
Hexagon - portal triads in the corner
What does the liver do?
Detoxification: filters and cleans blood of waste products (drugs and hormones)
Immune funcs: fights infecs and diseases
Synthesis of clotting factors, proteins, enzymes, glycogen and fats
Production of bile and breakdown of bilirubin
Energy storage (glycogen and fats)
Regulate fat metabolism
Ability to regenerate
Regarding metabolism, what does the liver do?
Liver maintains continuous supply of energy by controlling the metabolism of CHO and fats
What varies the role of the liver?
Fasting, absorption, digestion, metabolism
What regulates the liver?
Endocrine glands e.g. pancreas, adrenal, thyroid
Nerves
How to categorise liver injury?
Time: acute (due to hep A,B,E, EBV, drugs, vascular) or chronic (due to alcohol, viral, autoimmune, vascular, metabolic) (chronic = decompensated cirrhosis when bleeding) Pattern: hepatic vs cholestatic vs mixed Presentation: asymptomatic vs symptoms Severity: Cirrhotic vs non-cirrhotic By cause
Presentation of acute liver injury?
Asymptomatic
Abnormal LFTs (liver function tests) and coagulopathy
Malaise, nausea, anorexia
Jaundice
Confusion
Bleeding
Liver pain
Presentation of chronic liver injury?
Abnormal LFTs
Hepatomegaly
Malaise, abdo discomfort
Itching
Oedema Haematemesis Easy bruising (coagulopathy) Jaundice Confusion Anorexia, wasting
Name the serum liver function tests (LFTs)
Albumin and billrubin = true LFT ALP - alkaline phosphatase GGT - gamma GT ALT - alanine aminotransferase AST - aspartate aminotransferase Bilirubin Globulin
Platelet count
INR/prothrombin time
What jaundice is usually first noted?
Scleral jaundince
What causes jaundice?
An increase in bilirubin
What is bilirubin?
A breakdown product of haemoglobin
How is bilirubin metabolised?
In liver
Excreted via the intestine and renally
If bilirubin rises and is not excreted the motion turns pale
Bilirubin metabolism can be interrupted at various points
Causes of jaundice?
Pre-hepatic: - Haemolysis (increased substrate) Hepatic: (intrinsic liver disease) - Cirrhosis - Infil of liver by tumours - Acute hepatitis Post hepatic (obstruction of biliary outflow) - Gallstones - External compression: pancreatitis, lymphadenopathy, pancreatic tumour
Causes of chronic liver disease?
Non alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
Alcohol
Viral hepatitis (B, C)
Less common:
- Autoimmune hepatitis
- Metabolic: Wilson’s
- Vascular: portal vein thrombosis
- Drugs: Chemo