Liver diseases

1. What is liver anatomy?

Liver is the largest and most complex organ in the body. The localased it lies in the right upper side of the abdomen under the diaphragm and ribs. It is covered by fibrous capsule. The gallbladder and its ducts lie beneath the right side of the liver.

Anatomically, the liver is divided into a larger right lobe and a smaller left lobe by the falciform ligament

1. What are the principal physiological functions of the human liver?

The liver has a wide range of functions, including:

• Detoxification alcohol)

• Stores vitamins A, D, K and B12 (also stores minerals)

• Protein production

• reguleted levels of glucose in the blood

• Produces cholesterol (cholesterol is vital)

• The storage glycogen (also converts glucose to glycogen)

• Synthesizing plasma protein

• The production of hormones

• Produces urea (the main substance of urine)

2. What are the causes of liver diseases? Name the diseases.

Causes for liver disease include the following:

• Alcoholism

• Autoimmune diseases

• Bile duct disorders (e.g., primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis)

• Obesity

• Viruses (primarily hepatitis A [HAV], hepatitis B [HBV], or hepatitis C [HCV])

General risk factors for liver disease include alcoholism, exposure to industrial toxins, genetics), and long-term use of medications.

Age and gender also are risk factors for liver disease.

4 Liver Conditions

• Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver, usually caused by viruses like hepatitis A, B, and C. Hepatitis can have non-infectious causes too, including heavy drinking, drugs, allergic reactions, or obesity.

• Cirrhosis: Long-term damage to the liver from any cause can lead to permanent scarring, called cirrhosis. The liver then becomes unable to function well.

• Liver cancer: The most common type of liver cancer, hepatocellular carcinoma, almost always occurs after cirrhosis is present.

• Liver failure: Liver failure has many causes including infection, genetic diseases, and excessive alcohol.

• Ascites: As cirrhosis results, the liver leaks fluid (ascites) into the belly, which becomes distended and heavy.

• Gallstones: If a gallstone becomes stuck in the bile duct draining the liver, hepatitis and bile duct infection (cholangitis) can result.

• Hemochromatosis: Hemochromatosis allows iron to deposit in the liver, damaging it. The iron also deposits throughout the body, causing multiple other health problems.

• Primary sclerosing cholangitis: A rare disease with unknown causes, primary sclerosing cholangitis causes inflammation and scarring in the bile ducts in the liver.

• Primary biliary cirrhosis: In this rare disorder, an unclear process slowly destroys the bile ducts in the liver. Permanent liver scarring (cirrhosis) eventually develops.

  5. What is cirrhosis? What are its types?

Cirrhosis chronic diffuse liver diseases characterized by abnormal structure and function of the liver.

Most types of cirrhosis can be classified as follows: Laennec’s, postnecrotic, biliary(primary or secondary), hemochromatosis, cardiac or congestive and rare and nonspecific cirrhosis.

There are many causes of cirrhosis including chemicals (such as alcohol, fat, and certain medications), viruses, toxic metals (such as iron and copper that accumulate in the liver as a result of genetic diseases), and autoimmune liver disease in which the body's immune system attacks the liver.

Some of the more common symptoms and signs of cirrhosis include:

• Yellowing of the skin (jaundice) due to the accumulation of bilirubin in the blood

• Fatigue

• Weakness

• Loss of appetite

• Itching

Early symptoms can include weakness and a loss of appetite, nausea and vomiting of blood, and diarrhea. Symptoms of advanced cirrhosis include jaundice, broken blood vessels, a hard liver, a swollen abdomen, and swollen ankles

What are the complications of cirrhosis?

Edema and ascites

Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (SBP)

Bleeding from esophageal varices

Hepatic encephalopathy

Hepatorenal syndrome

Hepatopulmonary syndrome

Hypersplenism

Liver cancer (hepatocellular carcinoma)

What is the treatment for cirrhosis?

steroids and immunosuppressive

highprotein diet with extravitamins.

Antibiotic drugs may be prescribed if there is infection.

Treatment of cirrhosis includes 1) preventing damage to the liver, 2) treating the complications of cirrhosis, 3) preventing liver cancer 4) liver transplantation.