PATHOLOGY - Hepatobiliary Disease Flashcards
What are the three zones of the hepatic lobules?
Periportal zone
Midzonal zone
Centrilobular zone
Which zone of the hepatic lobules is most vunerable to injury?
Centrilobular
What is the portal triad?
The portal triad consists of a branch of the hepatic artery, branch of the hepatic portal vein, lymphatic vessel and a bile ductile located at the corners of the hepatic lobules
Describe the direction of blood flow through the hepatic lobules
Blood flows through the hepatic artery and hepatic portal vein through the hepatic sinusoids to the central venule within the hepatic lobules where the blood is drained
What are the functions of the liver?
Bilirubin metabolism
Bile acid metabolism
Lipid metabolism
Carbohydrate metabolism
Xenobiotic metabolism
Coagulation factor production
Serum protein production
Mineral storage
Urea production
What is the biliary system?
The biliary system is a branched system which transports bile from each hepatocyte into the bile ducts which come together to form the common bile duct which empties bile into the duodenum
How does the anatomy of the biliary system differ between dogs and cats?
In cats, the common bile duct combines with the pancreatic duct before entering the duodenum, forming the pancreaticobiliary duct, whereas the pancreatic duct and common bile duct are seperate in dogs
What are the functions of bile?
Emusifies lipids to allow for absorption of fats and fat soluble vitamins
Excretes bilirubin and excess cholesterol
Neutralises gastric acid
What is primary hepatopathy?
Primary hepatopathy refers to liver disease which originates in the liver
What is secondary hepatopathy?
Secondary hepatopathy refers to systemic disease which has secondary effects on the liver
What are some of the potential causes of secondary hepatopathy?
Hypoxia
Hypotension
Endocrine disease
Drugs
Non-hepatic inflammatory disease
Metastatic neoplasia
Right sided congestive heart failure
Pericardial effusion
What are the potential clinical signs of liver disease?
Remember these can be variable and non-specific to liver disease
Anorexia
Weight loss
Lethargy
Vomiting
Diarrhoea
Polyuria, polydipsia (PUPD)
Jaundice
Ascites
Alteration in liver size
Clinical signs of a coagulopathy
Clinical signs of hepatocutaneous syndrome
Clinical signs of hepatic encephalopathy
What is hepatocutaneous syndrome?
Remember this is very rare
Hepatocutaneous syndrome is a disease characterised by degeneration of the skin cells as a consequence of nutritional imbalances resulting from metabolic abnormalities resulting from severe liver dysfunction
What are some useful history questions to ask when investigating liver disease?
- Are the clinical signs acute or chronic?
- Try to determine if it is a primary or secondary hepatopathy?
- Any exposure to toxins?
- Which medications is the animal currently on?
- Vaccination status?
What are some of the most common causes of acute liver disease?
Hepatotoxic drugs
Toxins
Infectious disease
Idiopathic
Metabolic disease
List some examples of hepatotoxic drugs which can cause acute liver disease
NSAIDS
Paracetamol
Azathioprine
Trimethroprim-sulphonamide antibiotics
Antiepileptic drugs
Lomustine
Methimazole/carbimazole
List some examples of toxic agents which can cause acute liver disease
Xylitol
Mycotoxins
Aflatoxins
Amantia mushrooms
Microcystin (found in blue green algae)
List some infectious causes of acute liver disease
Leptospirosis
Canine adenovirus 1 (CAV-1)
Bacterial hepatitis
Bacterial cholangitis/cholangiohepatitis
Give an example of a metabolic cause of acute liver disease
Hepatic lipidosis
What are some of the most common causes of chronic hepatobiliary disease in dogs?
Chronic hepatitis
Neoplasia
Congenital portosystemic shunts
Portal vein hypoplasia
Copper-associated hepatitis
Chronic progression of acute hepatopathy
What are some of the most common causes of chronic hepatobiliary disease in cats?
Chronic cholangitis (usually lymphocytic)
Infectious disease (FIP and toxoplasmosis)
Neoplasia
Congenital portosystemic shunts
Hepatic amyloidosis
Which diagnostic tests can be done to investigate hepatobiliary disease?
Biochemistry
Bile acid stimulation test
Coagulation times
Haematology
Urinalysis
Diagnostic imaging
Liver biopsy/fine needle aspirate (FNA)
Which liver enzymes are markers of hepatocellular damage?
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT)
Aspartate aminotransferase (AST)
Where is alanine aminotransferase (ALT) located?
Alanine aminotransferase (ALT) is located in the hepatic cytosol