Liver Pathology 2 Flashcards
Define cirrhosis
hepatic disease characterized by widely distributed (diffuse, not focal) interconnecting fibrous scars with nodular parenchymal regeneration
State the most common cause of cirrhosis
1. alcoholic liver disease viral hepatitis (B,C,D) biliary diseases hereditary hemochromatosis Wilson's disease A1At deficiency cryptogenic cirrhosis (non-alcholic fatty liver disease)
List the 3 main causes of death associated with cirrhosis
hepatic failure
portal hypertension
hepatocellular carcinoma
List the key causes of hepatic failure
acute liver failure: massive hepatic necrosis from hepatitis, reye’s syndrme, acute fatty liver of pregnancy. most common cause if acetaminophen overdose
chronic liver failure: usually due to cirrhosis
What are some of the clinical manifestations of hepatic failure
jaundice hypoalbuminemia coagulopathy hyperammonemia fetor hepaticus increased liver enzymes hypoglycemia endocrine changes hepatorenal syndrome hepatic encephalopathy and coma hepatopulmonary syndrome portppulmonary hypertension portal hypertension decreased metabolism of drugs
State the most common cause of portal hypertension
cirrhosis
State the four main complications of portal hypertension
ascites
portosystemic shunts like esophageal varices
splenomegaly
hepatic encephalopathy
Describe the pathologic finginds on liver biopsy of alcoholic steatosis
in the earlystages of alcohol abuse, the liver accumulates lipid and is enlarged
note - this is reversible with cessation of alcohol consumption
Describe the pathologic findings of alcoholic hepatitis
you get the fatty deposits AND evidence of hepatocyte injury or inflammation
lver cell swelling and necrosis, mallory bodies, neurophilic inflammation
can be accompanied by perivenular and pericellular fibrosis (steatofibrosis) which is a precursor to cirrhosis
What are mallory bodies?
aggregates of cytokeratin - can be seen in other liver diseases though (not specific for alcoholic liver disease
Describe the typical gross appearance of alcoholic cirrhosis
progressive fibrosis and liver cell necrosis resulting in bridging fibrosis with intervening hepatocytes regeneration in nodules
liver can be fatty and enlarged
late stages it will be shrunken though and cholestasis is uusally present
List the major causes of death in alcoholic cirrhosis
hepatic encephalopathy and coma
massive GI tract hemorrhage from esophageal varices
infections (spontaneous bacterial peritonitis)
hepatorenal syndrome
hepatocellular carcinoma
Define non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
it’s pathology similar to alcoholic steatosis and steatohepatitis but they don’t drink
patholoyg is virtually identical
What patient populations can get non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
patient with metabolic syndrome - obesity, type 2 diabetes, dyslipidemia, and insulin resistance
Define PBC
it’s an autoimmune destruction of the small and medium-sized intrahepatic bile ducts (but NOT the extraheptaic bile ducts)
can lead to cirrhosis
What type of patient typically gets PBC?
middle aged females, especially people of northern european ancestry (me)
What symptoms may be exhibited by a patient with PBC?
fatigue and ANICTERIC puritis - they just itch all the time
often discovered incidentally with lab tests for other disorders
later on xanthomas steatorrhea, vitamin D malabsorption with osteomalacia and osteoporosis
State a key diagnostic lab test for PBC.
elevated alkaline phosphatase
positive anti-mitochondrial antibodies (that target the E2 component of the mitochondrial pyruvate dehydrogenase complex)
note there are cases of AMA negative autoimmune cholangitis - they’ll be ANA positive and anti-smooth muscle like in AIH
What are the findings on liver biopsy in PBC?
stage 1: lymphocytic/granulomatous cholangitis around the portal tracts (may have loss of bile ducts)
2: periportal hepatitis with periportal fibrosis
3. briding necrosis and bridging fibrosis
4. cirrhosis
Define secondary biliary cirrhosis.
cirrhosis secondary to any disorder that cuasea a prolonged extrahepatic bile duct obstruction
it produces bile stasis, and bile is an irritating substance
What are some possible causes of secondary biliary cirrhosis?
stones, tumor, biliary atresia, cystic fibrosis, choledochal cysts
anything that blocks bile movement
Defome PSC
autoimmune cholangiopathy characterized by fibroinflammatory obliteration of BOTH intra and extrahepatic bile ducts (makes is different from PBC)
What is a key patient population that PSC can occur in?
men who have ulcerative colitis , middle age