Liver Diseases Part 1 Quiz

Liver Diseases Overview

• The human liver weighs around 1500g and makes up about 2% of total body weight, located under the diaphragm on the right side of the abdomen.
• The liver plays a crucial role in maintaining metabolic homeostasis, including albumin and bile production, blood filtration, amino acid regulation, blood clotting, resistance to infections, vitamin and mineral storage, and glucose processing.
• Surgical removal of 60% of the liver in a normal person results in minimal and transient hepatic impairment, with most of its mass restored through regeneration within 4 to 6 weeks.
• The liver is vulnerable to a wide range of metabolic, toxic, microbial, and circulatory insults, leading to various liver diseases, including primary and secondary diseases related to heart failure, diabetes, and extrahepatic infections.
• Hepatic failure is the end point of progressive liver damage, resulting in the destruction of hepatocytes or parenchymal damage and the loss of 80% to 90% of hepatic function.
• Hepatic failure is life-threatening due to the accumulation of toxic metabolites, respiratory failure, coagulopathy, systemic infections, sepsis, renal failure, and electrolyte disturbances.
• Full-blown hepatic failure leads to 80% death within weeks to a few months, while 40% of patients with acute liver failure may recover spontaneously.
• Liver transplantation is a treatment option in acute or chronic liver failure, which can be categorized into acute liver failure with massive hepatic necrosis, chronic liver diseases, and hepatocellular carcinoma.
• Liver diseases are a significant focus in the Department of Biomedical Sciences' Systemic Pathology course, with course code 3401203, offered in Semester 1 of Year 3 for Batch 22 students, taught by Nada Suliman, BDS, MPH, PHD, with a class date of 14/11/2023 at 1445AH.