Also called: Also called: Hepatic disease
Your liver is the largest organ inside your body. It is also one of the most important. The liver has many jobs, including changing food into energy and cleaning alcohol and poisons from the blood. Your liver also makes bile, a yellowish-green liquid that helps with digestion.
There are many kinds of liver diseases. Viruses cause some of them, like hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Others can be the result of drugs, poisons or drinking too much alcohol. If the liver forms scar tissue because of an illness, it's called cirrhosis. Jaundice, or yellowing of the skin, can be one sign of liver disease.
Like other parts of your body, cancer can affect the liver. You could also inherit a liver disease such as hemochromatosis.
- Liver Problems: Common Problems and How to Avoid Them(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/liver/DG00038/METHOD=print
- Progression of Liver Disease(American Liver Foundation) - http://www.liverfoundation.org/education/info/progression/
- Liver Wellness(American Liver Foundation) - Links to PDF - http://www.liverfoundation.org/downloads/alf_download_29.pdf
- Diabetics Can Control Fatty Liver with Exercise(09/19/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69468.html
- Blacks Have Higher Mortality After Liver Surgery(09/18/2008, Reuters Health) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_69429.html
- Clinical Manifestations of Liver Disease(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec10/ch135/ch135a.html
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ERCP (Endoscopic Retrograde Cholangiopancreatography)
(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/ercp/
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Liver Biopsy(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/liverbiopsy/
- Liver Panel(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/analytes/liver_panel/glance.html
- Needle Biopsy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/needle-biopsy/MY00088/METHOD=print&DSECTION=all
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Ultrasound - Abdomen(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=abdominus
Also available in Spanish http://www.radiologyinfo.org/sp/info.cfm?pg=abdominus
- Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt (TIPS)(American College of Radiology, Radiological Society of North America) - http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?PG=tips
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Dandelion(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/health/dandelion/
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Kava Linked to Liver Damage(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/health/alerts/kava/
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Milk Thistle(National Center for Complementary and Alternative Medicine) - http://nccam.nih.gov/health/milkthistle/
- Acetaminophen Use and Liver Injury(American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases) - http://publish.aasld.org/yourliver/Pages/acetaminophen.aspx
- Acute Liver Failure(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/liver-failure/DS00961/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
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Alcohol Alert: Alcoholic Liver Disease(National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism) - http://pubs.niaaa.nih.gov/publications/aa64/aa64.htm
- Blood Vessel Disorders of the Liver(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec10/ch138/ch138a.html
- Budd-Chiari Syndrome(Merck & Co., Inc.) - http://www.merck.com/mmhe/sec10/ch138/ch138d.html
- Enlarged Liver(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/enlarged-liver/DS00638/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Fatty Liver(American Liver Foundation) - http://www.liverfoundation.org/education/info/fattyliver/
- Gilbert's Syndrome(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/gilberts-syndrome/DS00743/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
- Jaundice(American Association for Clinical Chemistry) - http://www.labtestsonline.org/understanding/conditions/jaundice.html
- Liver Cysts: A Cause of Abdominal Pain?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/liver-cysts/AN00148/METHOD=print
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Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/nash/
Also available in Spanish http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/spanish/pubs/nash/
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Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis(National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/primarysclerosingcholangitis/
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Zellweger Syndrome(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/zellweger/zellweger.htm
- Debunking Liver Disease Myths(American Liver Foundation) - http://www.liverfoundation.org/chapters/newengland/news/150/
- High-Protein Diets: Are They Safe?(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/high-protein-diets/AN00847/METHOD=print
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JAMA Patient Page: Abdominal Paracentesis(American Medical Association) - Links to PDF - http://jama.ama-assn.org/cgi/reprint/299/10/1216.pdf
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Digestive System: The Inside Story(Johns Hopkins Medicine) - Requires media player - http://hopkins-gi.nts.jhu.edu/images/shared/home/database/digestiveSystem.html
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Alagille Syndrome(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Alagille+Syndrome%22
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Liver Diseases(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Liver+Diseases%22
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Genetics Home Reference: Alagille syndrome(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=alagillesyndrome
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Genetics Home Reference: Berardinelli-Seip congenital lipodystrophy(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=berardinelliseipcongenitallipodystrophy
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Genetics Home Reference: Cholesteryl ester storage disease(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=cholesterylesterstoragedisease
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Genetics Home Reference: Tyrosinemia(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=tyrosinemia
- Fatty Liver Disease May Raise Heart Disease Risk in Overweight, Obese Kids(American Heart Association) - http://americanheart.mediaroom.com/index.php?s=43&item=452
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Association of urinary bisphenol A concentration with medical disorders and... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18799442&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Role of hedgehog signalling in bile ductular cells. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18719134&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Host matters most. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18718220&tool=MedlinePlus
- Liver Diseases -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=liver+diseases[majr]+NOT+(hepatitis[mh]+OR+liver+neoplasms[mh]+OR+liver+cirrhosis[mh])+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt]+OR+jsubsetk[text]+OR+jsubsetaim[text]+OR+jsubsetn[text])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases: Physician Referral Service(American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases) - http://publish.aasld.org/yourliver/Pages/PhysicianReferralService.aspx
- American Liver Foundation - http://www.liverfoundation.org/
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National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/
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National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/
- FASTATS: Chronic Liver Disease/Cirrhosis(National Center for Health Statistics) - http://www.cdc.gov/nchs/fastats/liverdis.htm
- Liver Facts(American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases) - http://publish.aasld.org/yourliver/Pages/liverfacts.aspx
- Alagille Syndrome(American Liver Foundation) - http://www.liverfoundation.org/education/info/alagille/
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Biliary Atresia(National Digestive Diseases Information Clearinghouse) - http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/atresia/
- Choledochal Cysts(Children's Hospital Boston) - http://www.childrenshospital.org/az/Site714/mainpageS714P0.html
- Common Characteristics of Liver Disease(Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) - http://www.chop.edu/consumer/your_child/condition_section_index.jsp?id=-8650
- Galactosemia(American Liver Foundation) - http://www.liverfoundation.org/education/info/galactosemia/
- Type I Glycogen Storage Disease(American Liver Foundation) - http://www.liverfoundation.org/education/info/gsdi/
- Tyrosinemia (TYR) - Type I, II & III(Save Babies Through Screening Foundation) - http://www.savebabies.org/diseasedescriptions/tyrosinemia.php
- Pregnancy and Liver Function(American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases) - http://publish.aasld.org/yourliver/Pages/LiverFastFactsPregnancyandLiverFunction.aspx
- Cirrhosis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/cirrhosis.html
- Hepatitis - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hepatitis.html
- Hepatitis A - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hepatitisa.html
- Hepatitis B - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hepatitisb.html
- Hepatitis C - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/hepatitisc.html
- Liver Cancer - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/livercancer.html
- Liver Transplantation - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/livertransplantation.html
- Reye Syndrome - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/reyesyndrome.html
- Wilson Disease - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/wilsondisease.html
- Digestive System - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/digestivesystem.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Liver Diseases is the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases - http://www.niddk.nih.gov/