Liver and pancreas pathophysiology Flashcards
Patterns of alcohol-related damage to the liver (pathological names)
- fatty change -> steatosis
- steatohepatitis -> fatty liver disease, inflammation + fat accumulation in the liver
- fibrosis
- cirrhosis
What are Mallory Denk bodies?
When we drink alcohol -> hepatocytes are damaged -> accumulate fat -> if this is chronic * then filaments in hepatocytes break down -> Mallory Denk bodies will form
mallory denk bodies (red on the picture) + neutrophils (blue on the picture) = steatohepatitis (inflammation of the liver)
(hepatocytes may recover in 6-8 weeks of stopping drinking)
How long does it take for a) fat b) Mallory Denk bodies to disappear after alcohol cessation?
a) fat: 6-8 weeks
b) mallory denk: 3 months
*but if the alcohol drinking continue - end up with fibrosis
- What is the normal surface of the liver like?
- What is the surface of the liver in cirrhosis?
- Normal -> smooth
- Cirrhosis -> nodular
What pathological process is the nodule in the cirrhotic liver result of?
hepatocytes die -> nodules = residual hepatocytes that are stretched out and pulled apart by fibrosis
What is the pathologist assessing in the biopsy of the alcoholic liver (degrees of damage)?
- Steatosis
- Steatohepatitis (fat accumulation + inflammation)
- Degree of fibrosis
- Cirrhosis
- Hepatocellular Carcinoma
What else (apart from alcohol) can cause liver damage?
- non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (e.g.people with large BMI increased risk)
- non-alcoholic steatohepatitis
- viruses (hepatitis B, C etc)
- drugs/toxins
- other tumours (either hepato-cellular ca or metastases e.g. from the lung or colon)
Causes of liver cirrhosis in adults
- alcohol
- hepatitis B or C (chronic as inflammation and destruction of hepatocytes)
- non-alcoholic steatohepatitis
- immunological damage
- genetic problems
x2 examples of autoimmune liver problems leading to cirrhosis
a) autoimmune disease - antibody against and destruction of own hepatocytes
b) primary biliary cholangitis - inflamed bile ducts in the liver -> damage and destruction
x2 examples of genetic liver problems leading to cirrhosis
- hemochromatosis - excess of iron -> accumulation in the tissues -> damage to hepatocytes
- alpha-1 anti-trypsin deficiency -> damage to hepatocytes -> cirrhosis
Causes of liver cirrhosis in children
- CF
- chronic active hepatitis
- Wilson’s disease
- alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
- galactosaemia*
*galactosaemia - metabolic disease; body is unable to metabolise galactose -> galactose accumulates in the tissues
Complications of liver cirrhosis
- portal hypertension (ascites, enlarged spleen, varies)
- liver cell failure (jaundice, bleeding tendency)
- hepatocellular carcinoma
General categories of causes of jaundice
Elevated level of bilirubin:
A. Pre-Hepatic -> excess production
B. Hepatocellular -> #conjugation
C. Post-hepatic/ obstructive -> impaired bile flow
What are the possible causes of Pre-hepatic reasons for jaundice?
Pre-hepatic - an excess of bilirubin (e.g. broken RBCs)
Causes: haemolytic anaemia, thalassemia, major haemorrhage
Examples of the reasons for hepatocellular causes of jaundice?
Hepatocellular -> anything that will # liver’s ability to conjugate bilirubin
Examples of types of damage: reduced uptake, impaired conjugation, decreased hepatocellular excretion
Examples of conditions leading to hepatocellular damage: viruses, drugs, toxins, alcohol, circulatory disturbance, autoimmune disease, cirrhosis