Liver, Biliary and Pancreatic Disease Flashcards
Name 5 signs that strongly suggest liver cirrhosis
- Spider naevi
- Palmar erythema
- Hepatomegaly
- Splenomegaly or ascites
- Abnormal collateral veins in the abdomen (ie. caput medusa)
- Jaundice (scleral icterus)
What causes hepatic encephalopathy?
Both acute liver failure + decompensated liver cirrhosis
What might precipitate a decompensation in previously stable liver cirrhosis?
- Infection
- Alcoholic binge
- GI bleed
- Hypoglycaemia
What result would indicate portal hypertension (transudate)?
Serum albumin ascites gradient > 1.1g/dL
What result would indicate peritoneal disease (exudate)?
Serum albumin ascites gradient < 1.1g/dL
Rare!
What result would indicate spontaneous bacterial peritonitis?
Microscopy showing > 500 white cells/mm3
Alcohol detoxification treatment of chlordiazepoxide is prescribed as follows:
Day 1: 40mg 4x/day Day 2: 30mg 4x/day Day 3: 20mg 4x/day Day 4: 10mg 4x/day Capsule bottle labelled: “chlordiazepoxide 5mg capsules. Take as directed”
What is the total quantity of capsules that should be present in the bottle, presuming he has taken the doses as advised above?
Total = 8+24+16+8
= 56 capsules
Prescribe a regular dose of an osmotic laxative for a patient at risk of hepatic encephalopathy. The patient has no known drug allergies. The aim is for the patient to have 2-3 loose stools/day.
Lactulose
Dose: 30ml
Route: Oral
What is the pathophysiological cause of jaundice?
Increased bilirubin in the body (clinically > 50uM/L)
- Unconjugated = not from liver/biliary tree (prehepatic cause)
- Conjugated = caused by liver/biliary disorders (hepatic/post-hepatic cause)
- Conjugated = more common; dark urine + pale stools + itch
What are 2 causes of conjugated hyperbilirubinemia?
- Obstructive jaundice = blockage of bile flow thru bile ducts or intrahepatic/extrahepatic ducts
- Hepatocellular jaundice = hepatocyte damage (I.e. cirrhosis, hepatitis)
Name at least 2 common + uncommon examples of obstructive jaundice
Common: Gallstones in common bile duct, carcinoma of head of pancreas
- In duct, in duct wall, outside biliary duct
Uncommon: Sclerosing cholangitis, cholangiocarcinoma
Name at least 2 common + uncommon examples of hepatocellular jaundice
Common: Alcohol, hepatitis, cirrhosis, viral hepatitis, drug-induced, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Uncommon: Autoimmune liver disease, Hemochromatosis, Wilson’s disease
Describe the abdominal pain known as biliary colic
- RUQ pain
- If associated with jaundice + fever = cholangitis (I.e. sepsis in biliary ducts)
Describe the abdominal pain associated with pancreatitis
- Severe epigastric pain radiating to back
- Inflammation of pancreas usually caused by alcohol excess/gallstones blocking common bile duct
What is the likely diagnosis of painless jaundice?
Liver/pancreatic cancer
Name 6 risk factors for liver disease
- Alcohol abuse
- Drug use
- Travel
- History of blood transfusions
- Tattoos
- Unprotected sex
What are 9 signs of liver disease on an abdo exam?
- Fever
- Cachexia
- Hepatic encephalopathy (flap)
- Signs of chronic liver disease (I.e. gynecomastia, palmar erythema)
- Scars of surgery (I.e. cholecystectomy)
- RUQ/epigastric pain
- Hepatomegaly
- Splenomegaly
- Ascites
Outline liver function tests
- LFTs -> useful to monitor degree of liver damage + prognosis
- Clotting factors (PT, INR), albumin (decreased in liver disease) - Liver enzymes -> most useful to aid diagnosis
- Transaminases (AST, ALT) -> most useful
- Alkaline phosphatase (ALP)
What are the LFTs like in hepatocellular damage?
Increased ALT, AST»_space; ALP = hepatocellular damage
What are the LFTs like in obstructive damage?
Increased ALP»_space; ALT, AST = obstructive damage
What are 5 red flags for cancer of the liver?
- Weight loss
- Hard lymphadenopathy (Troisier’s node = L supraclavicular node -> Virchow’s sign)
- Hard, craggy liver edge
- Predisposing risk factors
- Thenar wasting
If a patient over 40y presents with painless obstructive jaundice what are you looking for on imaging?
Carcinoma of the head of the pancreas
What cancer usually metastasizes from other primary cancers such as lung cancer?
Liver cancer
What cancer are patients at increased risk of developing with liver cirrhosis? What blood test would you check?
Primary hepatocellular cancer
Check a-fetoprotein levels
If the gallbladder is palpable what rare cancer are you suspecting?
Cholangiocarcinoma
What is delirium tremens?
Rapid onset of confusion usually caused by withdrawal from alcohol
Occurs 3 days into withdrawal symptoms + lasts for 2-3 days
Untreated = seizures + death
Patients advised to reduce drinking gradually which allows receptors in the brain to adapt/started on detox regimens
Name 2 main drugs used in the management of acute alcohol withdrawal
- Benzodiazepine/carbamazepine
- Clomethiazole
Offer ORAL lorazepam, PARENTERAL lorazepam or haloperidol for delirium tremens
What is bilirubin?
Breakdown product of hemoglobin which isn’t soluble in water and thus is conjugated in the liver
What makes stool brown and urine dark?
Stercobilinogen + urobilinogen
What is hepatitis?
Inflammation of the liver
What is cirrhosis?
Fibrosis of the liver + nodule formation
What is the difference between acute and chronic hepatitis?
Inflammation > 6mo = chronic
What are the potential progressions of an acute hepatitis episode?
- Recovery (no long-term damage)
- Chronic hepatitis -> increased fibrosis -> cirrhosis
- Fulminant hepatitis (acute liver failure) -> death/transplant
What are the symptoms of acute hepatitis?
Typically: Unwell, jaundice, RUQ pain (swelling of liver in capsule which stretches + causes pain)
Severe: Confusion (encephalopathy), bruising (coagulopathy)
- These are symptoms of fulminant hepatitis
Increased ALT/AST (>1000)
Increased bilirubin
Coagulopathy
Renal impairment
What is chronic hepatitis and what are its symptoms?
Low grade inflammation of the liver
Symptoms:
- Often none
- Fatigue
- Abnormal LFTs (mild increase in ALT)
- Detected with screening
- Present with cirrhosis
What is fulminant hepatitis?
Acute liver disease (hepatitis) with liver failure
Encephalopathy within 28d of jaundice
Poor prognosis (need transplant)
What are the 2 main things that occur in liver cirrhosis?
- Loss of function
- Jaundice (no breakdown of hemoglobin)
- Coagulopathy (no clotting factors being made)
- Decreased drug metabolism (opiates + benzodiazepines especially)
- Decreased hormone metabolism (Increased estrogen = spider naevi, palmar erythema, decreased body hair, gynecomastia, shrinking of genitals)
- Increased risk of sepsis (decreased immune system) - Portal HTN
- Varices (esophageal, caput medusa)
- Piles (rectal)
- Ascites (fluid retention in abdomen)
- Encephalopathy (increased ammonia + toxins in abdo)
- Renal failure (renal artery vasoconstriction - hepatorenal syndrome)
** These are independent of each other. Portal HTN is easier to treat**
Name 6 causes of liver cirrhosis
- Alcohol
- Hepatitis B + C
- Autoimmune liver disease (autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary sclerosis)
- Hemochromatosis
- Wilson’s disease
- Chronic obstruction
What is the scientific name for a fatty liver?
Steatosis
When does steatosis or steatohepatitis turn into cirrhosis?
With continued exposure more inflammation and cell death ensues
What are 4 signs of decompensated liver cirrhosis?
- Jaundice
- Ascites
- Encephalopathy
- Variceal bleeding
50% 2-yr survival of liver failure
Corticosteroid treatment has been shown to improve survival in the short-term (1mo) but increases risk of infections in the first 3mo
What are the components that make up bile?
Bile pigments (haem breakdown) + bile salts (cholesterol)
Where is bile produced and when is it released? How much bile is produced/day?
Produced by hepatocytes in the liver and stored in the gallbladder
It is released in response to food via hormonal (CCK-PZ) and fatal nerve to contract gallbladder
500-1000ml/day is produced
Bilirubin + what enzyme allows it to become soluble and excreted in bile?
Glucoronic acid