Timothy Morgan

When should I suspect my patient has alcoholic liver disease? Alcoholic liver disease includes a spectrum of liver injury including steatosis, acute alcoholic hepatitis, and chronic hepatitis with progressive fibrosis eventually leading to cirrhosis. The diagnosis of alcoholic liver disease is based on a history of heavy alcohol use, the presence of signs or symptoms…

How can I be sure that the patient has portal systemic encephalopathy (hepatic encephalopathy)? Portal systemic encephalopathy, or hepatic encephalopathy (HE), is a common problem observed in the setting of acute liver failure, surgical portosystemic shunts without chronic liver disease, or, most commonly, in the setting of chronic liver disease. Overt HE is distinguished from…