Pancreas and liver pathology Flashcards
What are the functions of the liver?
Metabolism Storage Detoxification Bile production Absorbs from intestinal tract to be metabolised
What is the pressure system like in sinusoids?
Low pressure so not much pressure needed to block
What is the pressure like in hepatic artery?
High
What is the life span of a red blood cell?
120 days
Where are red blood cell broken down?
Occurs extravascularly in macrophages in the spleen (mainly) and liver
How can bilirubin get to the liver?
Hydrophobic so must be bound to albumin
How is bilirubin made water soluble?
Water soluble
Conjugated with glucoronic acid by UDP glucuronyl transferase in the liver
Where is water soluble conjugated bilirubin excreted?
Secreted by hepatocytes into bile canaculi
What is conjugated bilirubin made into?
Urobilinogen to stercobilin or urobilin
How do we measure liver dysfunction?
Failure of anabolism
Failure of catabolise and excrete
Markers of hepatocyte damage
If anabolism is damaged what will you measure?
Albumin
Numerous coagulation factors
What is hypoalbuniaemia?
reflects severe liver dysfunction
What does failure to produce coagulation factors result in?
prolonged prothrombin time (INR)
Significant liver dysfunction
What is measured in catabolism breakdown?
Haemoglobin
What is pre hepatic jaundice?
Too much bilirubin
What is intra-hepatic jaundice?
Failure of hepatocytes to conjugate and or secrete bilirubin
What is post- hepatic jaundice?
Failure of biliary tree to convey the conjugated bilirubin to duodenum
What colour will conjugated bilirubin make urine?
Dark yellow
How can you detect excess urobiliogen in the urine?
dipstick
What are the signs of pre-hepatic jaundice
•Mild jaundice (lemon tinge)•
Stools may be very dark
•Urine colournormal
•No pruritis
What are the clinical findings of pre-hepatic jaundice?
Raised serum bilirubin
•Increased urinary urobiliogen
•No conjugated bilirubin present in urine
What are the symptoms of intra-hepatic jaundice?
Moderate jaundice
•Stools normal
•Urine dark
•No pruritis usually
What are the clinical findings of intra-hepatic jaundice?
Raisedserum bilirubin
•Normal urinary urobiliogen
•Conjugated bilirubin present in urine
What are the symptoms of post hepatic jaundice?
Severe jaundice (green tinge)
Stool pale
urine dark
pruritis
What are the clinical findings of post hepatic jaundice?
Raised serum bilirubin
Decreased urinary urobilogen
Conjugate bilirubin present in urine
What are the markers of hepatocyte damage or dysfunction?
ALT
Alk Phos
Gamma GT
When is ALT high in blood?
inflamed or damaged hepatocytes
hepatitis e.g. viral, acute alcohol intake, fatty liver disease and drugs/ toxins