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Updated: May 20 2017

Alcoholic Liver Disease

Introduction
  • Most common cause of cirrhosis in the United States.
  • Pathophysiology
    • ethanol metabolism
    • presence of decreased NAD levels play a major role in altered metabolism
Presentation
  • Physical exam
    • palmar erythema
      • unique to alcoholic liver disease
    • hepatosplenomegaly
      • splenomegaly is secondary to portal hypertension
    • ascites
    • spider angiomas
    • gynecomastia  
      • due to estrogen build up because it is not metabolized in the liver
    • testicular atrophy 
Evaluation
  • Hepatic panel 
    • elevated AST and ALT
    • AST:ALT > 2 suggests alcoholic hepatitis
  • Serum Protein Electrophoresis
    • produces a very characteristic Serum Protein Electrophoresis called the beta-gamma bridge
    • caused by an increased production of IgA and IgG.
    • SPE will also show hypoalbuminemia
  • Imaging
    • CT and ultrasound imaging may show fatty deposition either focal or diffuse throughout the liver tissue
  • Histology
    • histology slides may show enlarged vacuoles of triglycerides within hepatocytes


Treatment
  • Cessation of alcohol can reverse disease
  • Steroids
  • Transplant
  • Factor replacement of fresh frozen plasma (for bleeding) 
    • note that vitamin K replacement (phytonadione) works too slowly during acute bleeding
Question
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