Alcoholic hepatitis.
Am Fam Physician
; 47(5): 1171-8, 1993 Apr.
Article
en En
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-8465712
ABSTRACT
Anorexia, weight loss, fatigue, symptoms of alcohol withdrawal and hepatomegaly are common early presenting signs and symptoms of alcohol abuse. The clinical diagnosis of alcoholic hepatitis can be made in alcoholics with associated fever, leukocytosis, jaundice and tender hepatomegaly. Associated laboratory abnormalities may include leukocytosis or leukopenia, anemia, a prolonged prothrombin time and elevated liver enzymes, including aspartate amino-transferase (AST), alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase and bilirubin. An AST-to-ALT ratio greater than 2 is common in patients with alcoholic hepatitis. Liver biopsy may be required to establish the diagnosis and to identify other pathology, such as cirrhosis. Histologic diagnosis of alcoholic hepatitis requires the presence of liver cell damage, an inflammatory infiltrate and fibrosis. Biopsy-proven cirrhosis with alcoholic hepatitis or a significantly elevated total bilirubin level and prolonged prothrombin time are associated with a worse prognosis. Abstinence from alcohol, nutritional supplementation and corticosteroids are the mainstays of treatment for severe alcoholic hepatitis.
Buscar en Google
Colección:
01-internacional
Base de datos:
MEDLINE
Asunto principal:
Hepatitis Alcohólica
Tipo de estudio:
Diagnostic_studies
/
Prognostic_studies
Límite:
Humans
Idioma:
En
Revista:
Am Fam Physician
Año:
1993
Tipo del documento:
Article