Liver Disease Flashcards
Where is the liver located?
right upper quadrant
In the right 5th intercostal space to the costal margin
How much does a healthy liver weigh?
1.4-1.7 kg
You should be able to palpate the liver in a healthy patient. True or false
False
you should not be able to feel the liver in a healthy patient
What is an anatomical variation of the liver ?
Riedels lobe
it can simulate a mass
What is riedels lobe?
it is a tongue like inferior projection on the right love of the liver beyond the level of the most inferior costal cartilage on cross-sectional images
Riedels lobe is more palpable than the rest of the liver. True or false
True
The liver is responsible for the production of bile. What is the role of bile?
an emulsifying agent that makes fat more “absorbable”
What is the function of the gallbladder with high consumption of fatty meals?
gall bladder and cystic duct constrict to ensure that bile enters the duodenum to reach the small intestine
Where liver receives blood (carrying nutrients) from all of the GI tract via what blood vessel ?
The hepatic portal vein
What is an advantage of sublingual medication?
by passes first pass metabolism of the liver
does not go into systemic circulation as it has its own circulation
75% of the livers blood supply is from what blood vessel?
the hepatic portal vein
The common hepatic artery which carries what kind of blood?
oxygen rich blood
The common hepatic artery constitutes ____% of the livers blood supply
25
How is the liver drained?
the hepatic vein carries blood to the inferior vena cava
GTN (glyceryl trinitrate) is absorbed in the floor of the mouth. What are the characteristics of the FoM that allow absorption?
thin
non-keratinized
has its own blood supply
List some functions of the liver
Synthesis of plasma proteins (albumin and clotting factors: 2,7,9,10)- liver makes all of the clotting factors
Metabolism of drugs and toxins
Immunity via hepatic macrophages (kupffer cells)- liver filters the blood
Metabolism of fats, proteins and carbohydrates
Storage of glycogen, vitamins and minerals (vitamin A, D, E, K)
Bile production and excretion
Excretion of cholesterol and sex hormones
What is the function of the gallbladder?
stores and concentrates bile produced in the liver
What are the parenchymal (functional) tissue of the liver?
Hepatocytes
Hepatocytes constitute _____% of the liver volume
80
What are the non-parenchymal tissue of the liver?
sinusoidal endothelial cells
Phagocytic kupffer cells
Hepatic stellate cells
Parenchyma are to be distinguished from what other kinds of tissue ?
Supporting and connective tissue
What is a liver sinusoid?
the are a larger caliber of capillaries, they have a specialised endothelial lining known as the sinusoidal endothelial cells.
Be able to label a sinusoid
The central hepatic vein drains into the ______________.
Vena cava
At the sinusoid there is a mixing of …
portal (vein) and arterial blood
this usually drains into the central hepatic vein
Briefly describe the state of the blood that arrives at the hepatic central vein?
cleansed version of the blood which is sent back to the heart
Drugs and toxins are metabolised before they reach the hepatic central vein
Give examples of liver function tests
ALT / AST
ALP/ GGT
Bilirubin total
Albumin
Clotting studies (PT/INR/factors)
What is the normal range for serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT)?
<40 IU/L
What is the normal range for serum levels of aspartate aminotransferase
6-40 IU/L
ALT and AST are enzymes found in hepatocytes. Raised serum levels of these enzymes are an indication of what ?
leakage from damaged hepatocytes
damage to liver cells
Alkaline phosphatase (ALP) enzymes are commonly found in the __________ and are an indication of _________.
bile duct cells (also found in sinusoid complex)
indication of damage to the bile duct (bile is produced by hepatocytes and secreted into the bile ducts.
What is the normal range for serum levels of ALP?
30-130 IU/L
What is the normal range for serum levels of GGT?
50-420 IU/L
Gamma glutamyl transferase (GGT) are enzymes commonly found in the _________ and are an indication of ____________.
bile duct cells (also found in sinusoid complex)
indication of damage to the bile duct (bile is produced by hepatocytes and secreted into the bile ducts.
Aside from bile ductal cell damage, what other situation can lead to an increase in ALP?
high bone turnover
bone growth resulting from bone healing / pathological bone resorption
What is the normal range of serum levels of bilirubin?
0.1-1.0 mg/dL
What is the normal range of serum levels of albumin?
3.5-5.3 g/dL
What is the norma range of serum levels of clotting factors?
Variable
Low levels of albumin and clotting factors are indicative of …
liver tissue loss
What is the purpose of osmotic pressure in the blood ?
maintains fluid in the blood and prevents swelling
What is bilirubin?
a breakdown produce of red blood cells
Briefly describe how bilirubin arrives at the gut?
absorbed through the blood (after break down of RBCs) into the liver
It is usually retained in the biliary system and ejected out of the common bile duct before arriving in the gut
it gives faecal matter its characteristic colour
Describe an instance that leads to the presence of bilirubin in the urine
Gall stones
bilirubin can be absorbed in the blood and therefore some of it is also excreted in the kidney
In the presence of a gall stone/obstruction, bilirubin ends up being present in the urine as opposed to the faeces.
This is because excretion via the gut is divested as it is unable to leave the gall bladder through the common bile duct
Where does the production of bilirubin occur?
Heme is broken down to bilirubin in the macrophages of the reticuloendothelial system (tissue macrophages, spleen and liver)
How does bilirubin reach the liver?
unconjugated bilirubin is transported through the blood complexed to albumin to the liver
How is bilirubin taken up in the liver cells?
bilirubin is then taken up by facilitated diffusion by the liver and then conjugated with glucoronic acid
Give a summary of bilirubin metabolism
- senescent red cells are a major source of haemproteins
-break down of heme to bilirubin occurs in macrophages of reticuloendothelial system
-unconjugated bilirubin is transported in the blood complexed to albumin to the liver
-bilirubin is taken up via facilitated diffusion in the liver and conjugated to glucoronic acid
-conjugated bilirubin is actively secreted into bile and then the intestine
-in the intestine glucoronic acid is removed by bacteria which results in bilirubin being converted to urobilinogen
- some of the urobilinogen is reabsorbed from the gut and enters portal blood
-a portion of urobilinogen participates in enterohepatic urobilinogen cycle
-the remainder of urobilinogen is transported by the blood to the kidney where it is converetd to urobilin and excreted, giving urine its characteristic colour
-urobilinogen is oxidises by intestinal bacteria to brown stercobilin
What derivative of bilirubin gives the brown colour that can be observed in faeces?
stercobilin
What derivative of bilirubin gives urine its characteristic yellow colour ?
urobilin
Liver disease is the ___ “big killer” in England and wales.
5TH
after heart, cancer, stroke and respiratory disease
What dental considerations should you make for patients with liver disease?
LA- metabolism of LA; to prevent systemic toxicity
Risk of bleeding due to reduced clotting factor synthesis
Rates of alcohol- related mortality were substantially greater for those in more disadvantaged socio-economic classes. True or false.
True
What are the general classifications of alcohol related disease?
Acute Intoxication
Chronic dependency
What are the risks associated with acute intoxication of alcohol ?
acute alcoholic hepatitis
acute pancreatitis
risk of coma
aspiration
trauma
hypothermia
death
What are the risks associated with chronic alcohol dependency?
chronic liver disease
chronic pancreatitis
cardiomyopathy
brain atropy
peripheral neuropathy
malnutrition
malignancy- x6 increased risk of cancer
stroke
CVD
psychosocial aspects cause significant morbidity
What are the risks associated with chronic alcohol dependency?
chronic liver disease
chronic pancreatitis
cardiomyopathy
brain atropy
peripheral neuropathy
malnutrition
malignancy- x6 increased risk of cancer
stroke
CVD
psychosocial aspects cause significant morbidity
In order to keep health risks from alcohol to a low level, what is the recommendation for alcohol consumption weekly?
no more than 14 units per week
What is the best way to consume the recommended 14 units per week and why ?
best to spread drinking evenly over 3 or more days
one or two heavy drinking episodes a week will increase risk of death from long term illness and from accidents and injuries
What is the best way to cut down the amount of drinking?
have several drink free days each week
How much pure alcohol does one unit of alcohol contain ?
8g or 10ml of pure alcohol
How do you calculate the number of units of alcohol ?
[ABV% x volume of drink (ml)]/1000
What does the disability-adjusted life year (DALY) refer to ?
extends the concept of potential years of life lost due to premature death to include equivalent years of “healthy” life lost by virtue of being in states of poor health or disability
Causal relationships have been established between harmful drinking and incidence of infectious diseases such as… (name the infectious diseases)
tuberculosis
HIV/AIDs
What impacts can alcohol have in dentistry ?
dental erosion due to sugars/acid
dental erosion due to vomiting
halitosis
tooth staining
oral cancers (with and without smoking)
dental trauma
poor oral hygiene
reduced bone density
Briefly explain the impact of alcohol on bone density
alcohol affects vitamin D metabolism
this therefore reduces calcium absorption via the intestine and impacts bone density
Dental surgeries should not be taking part of alcohol screening. True or false
false
What are the CAGE alcohol screening questions?
C- do you think you should CUT down alcohol?
A- do you get angry when people say you drink too much ?
G- do you feel guilty?
E- do you have to have a drink in the morning to get your eye open?