Abdominal Key

Key Points Nowadays, most adult patients with cholestatic liver disease are first diagnosed when asymptomatic; this is not the case for children. In adults, testing for antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) can…

Key Points Portal vein thrombosis is common in patients with cirrhosis. The main complication of portal vein thrombosis is variceal bleeding. Acute portal vein thrombosis without cirrhosis should be treated…

Key Points The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is a small, parenterally transmitted RNA virus; today it is acquired almost exclusively by the use of unsterile needles. It occurs in six…

Key Points Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic and relapsing, immune-mediated liver injury. No single diagnostic test exists for AIH and in the absence of alternative liver disease, diagnosis rests…

Key Points Everyone infected with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) should be screened for hepatitis B and hepatitis C as all three viruses share routes of infection. Anyone with liver disease…

Key Points Alcoholic liver disease (ALD) encompasses a spectrum of injury, ranging from fatty liver to frank cirrhosis. Although alcoholic fatty liver secondary to excessive alcohol ingestion resolves with abstinence,…

Key Points All adult patients known or suspected to have cirrhosis require esophagogastroduodenoscopy (EGD) to check for the presence of varices. All adult cirrhotic patients with medium or large varices,…

Key Points: Adults Obesity rates are increasing worldwide. Adults with a body mass index (BMI) of more than 30 (Caucasian) or more than 27 (Asian) are classified as obese and…

Key Points Cirrhosis may be entirely asymptomatic with no clinical signs. Routine laboratory tests that may suggest underlying cirrhosis include: thrombocytopenia, hyperbilirubinemia, and hypoalbuminemia. Non-invasive tests (serum panels and transient…