Liver Pathology Flashcards
How long do RBCs live?
120 days
Where do RBCs go when they die?
Red pulp of the spleen
What two veins form the hepatic portal vein?
Superior mesenteric vein and splenic vein
Where does conjugation of bilirubin occur?
Liver
What makes up the common hepatic duct?
Right and left hepatic duct
What makes up the common bile duct?
Cystic duct and common hepatic duct
What duct leads to and from the gall bladder?
Cystic duct
What is the breakdown product of hemosiderin/RBCs?
Bilirubin
What is stercobilin?
fermented byproduct of bile giving stool its normal brown colour
Where does bile ferment to make stercobilin?
colon
What is another term for jaundice?
Icterus
What is jaundice?
Hyperpigmentation of the skin due to hyperbilirubinemia and deposition of bilirubin on body surfaces
What turns yellow if you have jaundice?
Everything
What is prehepatic hyperbilirubinemia?
Unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia characterized by normal urine & stool with yellowing skin (jaundice)
What effect will pre-hepatic hyperbilirubinemia have on stool, urine, and skin?
Stool = Normal (brown colour)
Urine = Normal (Pale amber)
Skin = Yellow
What are potential causes of prehepatic unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia?
- ^RBC destruction from autoimmune hemolytic anemia
- mismatched blood transfusion
- hypersplenism (overactive spleen)
What is hepatic hyperbilirubinemia?
Unconjugated or conjugated hyperbilirubinemia characterized by pale gray or clay colored stool and normal urine with yellowing skin
What effect will hepatic hyperbilirubinemia have on stool, urine, and skin?
stool: clay-coloured
urine: normal
skin: yellow
What can cause hepatic hyperbilirubinemia?
Tumor or cirrhosis (liver pathology)
A tumor will cause (Slow/Sudden) onset of hepatic hyperbilirubinemia?
Sudden
Cirrhosis or a liver pathology will cause (Slow/Sudden) onset of hepatic hyperbilirubinemia?
Slow
What is post-hepatic hyperbilirubinemia?
Conjugated hyperbilirubinemia characterized by pale gray or clay coloured stool and dark green or black urine
What causes post-hepatic hyperbilirubinemia?
Obstruction/compression (SOL) of common bile duct:
- Gallstones
- pancreatic carcinoma
- abdominal cancer
Prehepatic hyperbilirubinemia causes (Conjugated/Unconjugated/Both) hyperbilirubinemia(s)?
Unconjugated
Hepatic hyperbilirubinemia causes (Conjugated/Unconjugated/Both) hyperbilirubinemia(s)?
Both
(trends toward unconjugated)
Post-hepatic hyperbilirubinemia causes (Conjugated/Unconjugated/Both) hyperbilirubinemia(s)?
Conjugated
What effect will conjugated hyperbilirubinemia have on the stool, urine, and skin?
Stool = Pale gray/clay
Urine = Dark
Skin = Yellow
What is kernicterus?
severe neonatal jaundice caused by unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia in a newborn due to an enzyme defect that can lead to bile crossing the blood brain barrier and causing irreversible brain damage
Kernicterus results in (Conjugated/Unconjugated/Both) hyperbilirubinemia(s)?
Unconjugated
What are general causes of hepatitis?
Virus
Autoimmune conditions
Alcoholism
Hepatitis can be both acute or chronic (TRUE/FALSE)?
TRUE
What type of cancer can hepatitis lead to?
Hepatocellular carcinoma
Which type(s) of hepatitis has a fecal-oral vector and can only be contracted once?
Hepatitis A
Which type(s) of hepatitis are spread through bodily fluids, blood transfusions, STDs, and IV drug use and are chronic conditions?
Hepatitis B and C
What is the most common cause of hepatitis?
Alcohol