My Path

This was tricky for me to write as the subject is  the closest to my heart! I  really found it hard to leave so much out.

 

Acute hepatitis:

1. Viruses
2. Drugs

 

Chronic hepatitis (liver disease lasting more than 6 months)

1. Viruses
2. Autoimmune
3. Drugs

 

Pathological features of chronic hepatitis

Grade = inflammation (can be in 3 places: portal tracts, interface and lobular)

Stage = fibrosis (portal tract expansion > bridging > cirrhosis)

 

The commonest causes of cirrhosis are:

1. viral hepatitis
2. alcoholic liver disease
3. non-alcoholic fatty liver disease

 

Viral hepatitis

There are 5 hepatitis viruses (all RNA except for HBV): A-E

A and E: spread by faecal oral route, cause only an acute hepatitis

B, C and D (which can only infect people who have HBV, as well): spread by blood etc., cause the full range of liver disease:

1. acute hepatitis
2. chronic hepatitis – scarring begins
3. cirrhosis – nodules of hepatocytes surrounded by scar tissue

 

Alcoholic liver disease and non-alcoholic fatty disease (risk factors: obesity, diabetes) produce the same pathological changes:

1. fatty change
2. fatty liver hepatitis (alcoholic hepatitis / non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) respectively): ballooning, neutrophils and scarring
3. cirrhosis

NB These 3 stages often con-exist

 

There are (many) other liver diseases which may  cause of cirrhosis:

1. Autoimmune hepatitis: anti smooth muscle actin autoantibodies, plasma cells, associated with other AI diseases, response to steroids
2. Drug induced liver injury (DILI): “any kind of liver disease can be caused by a drug’
3. Haemochromatosis = genetic (AR) increased iron absorption from the gut

deposited in the liver and many other organs (including the pancreas).

4. Wilson’s disease = genetic (AR) decreased copper excretion (by hepatocytes into the bile duct).
5. Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC): sclerosis (= fibrosis) of the bile ducts leading to their loss. Associated with Ulcerative Colitis
6. Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC): inflammation (with granulomas) of the bile ducts leading to their loss

 

Complications of cirrhosis:

1. Portal hypertension with varices
2. Liver failure with hepatic encephalopathy,
3. Liver cell cancer (the same as hepatocellular carcinoma)

 

Tumours of the liver:

The commonest are secondary tumours (many via the portal vein)

 

Primary tumours

1. Benign
2. Bile duct adenomas
3. Hepatic adenomas (associated with the contraceptive pill)

 

1. Malignant
2. Liver cell carcinoma

Most commonly associated with cirrhosis.

Spread via the portal vein.

Carry a poor prognosis.

 

2. Cholangiocarcinoma (an adenocarcinoma)

Divided into intrahepatic and extra hepatic (including gall bladder)

May be associated with ulcerative colitis and worm infections

Spread to lymph nodes

Carry a poor prognosis