Zusammenfassung
- Caused by chronic heavy alcohol ingestion. About 40 to 80 g/day in men and 20 to 40 g/day in women for 10 to 12 years is sufficient to cause liver damage in the absence of other liver diseases.
- Clinical presentations are highly variable. There is no specific laboratory test to identify alcohol as a cause of liver damage. Liver biopsy, in the context of a history of alcohol abuse, is diagnostic but is not absolutely indicated in all patients.
- Alcohol abstinence is the first line of treatment, with periodic liver enzyme tests to monitor ongoing liver damage. Abstinence is also the key to prevention of alcoholic liver diseases.
- Complications such as oesophageal or gastric variceal bleeding, ascites, coagulopathy, hepatic encephalopathy, and liver cancer are associated with the disease.
Other related conditions
- Cirrhosis
- Alcohol abuse
- Overview of chronic alcoholism
- Alcohol withdrawal
- Acute liver failure
- Oesophageal varices
- Assessment of upper gastrointestinal bleeding
- Assessment of ascites
- Assessment of liver dysfunction
- Folate deficiency
- Hepatorenal syndrome
- Hepatic encephalopathy
- Hepatitis C
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis A
- Autoimmune hepatitis
- Vitamin B12 deficiency
- Haemochromatosis
- Wilson's disease
- Wernicke's encephalopathy
- Assessment of thrombocytopenia
Letzte Aktualisierung am: Nov 27, 2012
