Pathophysiology of Hepatobiliary Infections by Dr.T.V.Rao MD

Pathophysiology of Hepatobiliary Infections by Dr.T.V.Rao MD for the benefit of Nursing Paramedical and Laboratory professionals Diseases of Liver The liver is the largest solid organ in the body, weighing on average about 3.5 pounds. The liver carries out a large number of critical functions, including the manufacture of essential proteins, and metabolism of fats and carbohydrates.

A healthy liver helps your body fight infections and cleanse the blood of toxins. When the liver becomes damaged or diseased, it puts your life in danger. Inherited liver diseases include Alagille syndrome; galactosemia—prevention of the processing of sugar galactose; hemochromatosis—too much iron storage; and Wilson disease. Viral infections of the liver include hepatitis A, B, C, and autoimmune hepatitis—a potentially life-threatening disease where the body attacks the liver and causes inflammation. The American Liver Foundation reports that primary liver cancer is on the increase in the United States, with about 21,000 new cases diagnosed every year. Factors that increase the risk of developing liver cancer include cirrhosis of the liver, long-term hepatitis B and C, obesity, and diabetes. Parasites and viruses can infect the liver, causing inflammation that reduces liver function. The viruses that cause liver damage can be spread through blood or semen, contaminated food or water, or close contact with a person who is infected. The most common types of liver infection are hepatitis viruses, including:

? Hepatitis A

? Hepatitis B

? Hepatitis C

Liver Infection and Hepatitis D = Hepatitis D virus is not common worldwide and occurs only in some places. It causes inflammation of the liver. It infects liver cells only in the presence of hepatitis B virus infection. Hepatitis D virus has no independent existence and requires the hepatitis B virus for its survival.

Bacterial Liver Infections

Certain bacteria such as Escherichia coli, Salmonella species, Staphylococcus aureus can infect liver to cause hepatitis. They cause both acute and chronic type of non-viral liver infection. These bacteria enter the liver through contaminated water and food. They cause abscesses and lesions on the liver

Parasitic Liver Infections

This can be divided into further sub-types:

Amoebic Liver Abscess: Entamoeba histolytica commonly causes parasitic infection of the liver. It is common in South East Asian countries. This parasite enters the body in cyst form through the intake of contaminated water or food. It penetrates the gastrointestinal mucosa and gains access to the liver by the portal venous system

Hydatid Diseases: The worms such as Echinococcus granulosus cause hydatid disease. It enters the body in the form of a cyst through intake of food contaminated with feces of an infected dog. The ova reach the stomach of the humans they hatch due to favorable conditions and penetrate the wall of intestine and pass to the liver by the portal vein.

Liver Fluke Disease: Fasciola hepatica, Ascaris lumbricoides parasites cause liver fluke disease. Fasciola parasite enters the body in the cyst form through eating raw vegetables. They penetrate the intestinal wall and migrate to the liver where they cause liver inflammation.

Hepatobiliary and pancreatic disorders are some of the commonest disorders of the digestive system. The hepatopancreatobiliary the system has a complex embryological development and therefore is subject to anomalies that may sometimes have deleterious implications on the body physiology, besides being associated with a spectrum of acquired problems that require specialized training to tackle surgically.

Biliary Infections

Biliary infections are a common source of morbidity with right upper quadrant pain and subsequent biliary infection accounting for a large portion of Emergency Department annual visits nationwide. In this section, we discuss a breadth of biliary infections ranging from acute cholecystitis through recurrent pyogenic cholangitis. Acute Cholecystitis Acute cholecystitis is one of the most common causes of the acute abdomen in the Emergency Department and is the primary complication of cholelithiasis.

Dr.T.V.Rao MD