hepatitis

(noun)

inflammation of the liver, sometimes caused by a viral infection

Related Terms

Examples of hepatitis in the following topics:

  • Blood Supply to the Liver

    • In the hepatic portal system, the liver receives a dual blood supply from the hepatic portal vein and hepatic arteries.
    • In the hepatic portal system, the liver receives a dual blood supply from the hepatic portal vein and hepatic arteries.
    • The hepatic arteries supply arterial blood to the liver, accounting for the remainder of its blood flow.
    • Oxygen is provided from both sources; approximately half of the liver's oxygen demand is met by the hepatic portal vein, and half is met by the hepatic arteries.
    • The central veins coalesce into hepatic veins, which collects blood leaving the liver and bring it to the heart.

  • Hepatitis

    • Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver.
    • Hepatitis is the inflammation of the liver.
    • The most common cause of acute hepatitis is infection with the Hepatitis B, C, or D viruses.
    • Alcohol is a significant cause of hepatitis worldwide.
    • In acute hepatitis caused by the hepatitis viruses, often, the liver inflammation will subside when the viral illness has subsided.

  • Hepatic Portal Circulation

    • The hepatic portal system is responsible for directing blood from parts of the gastrointestinal tract to the liver.
    • The hepatic portal system is the system of veins comprising the hepatic portal vein and its tributaries.
    • The hepatic portal vein supplies about 75% of the blood the liver requires, with the other 25% supplied by the hepatic artery.
    • Blood from the hepatic artery is oxygenated but nutrient-poor compared to that supplied by the hepatic portal vein.
    • Following processing, blood collects in a central vein that drains into the hepatic vein and finally the inferior vena cava.

  • Jaundice

    • Jaundice is often seen in liver disease such as hepatitis or liver cancer.
    • Pre-hepatic jaundice is caused by anything leading to an increased rate of hemolysis (breakdown of red blood cells).
    • Hepatocellular (hepatic) jaundice can be caused by acute or chronic hepatitis, hepatotoxicity, cirrhosis, drug induced hepatitis, and alcoholic liver disease .
    • Although pale stools and dark urine are a feature of biliary obstruction, they can occur in many intra-hepatic illnesses, so they are not a reliable clinical feature to distinguish obstruction from hepatic causes of jaundice.
    • This patient displays the yellowish skin characteristic of jaundice, in this case due to hepatic failure.

  • Anatomy of the Liver and Gallbladder

    • It is connected to two large blood vessels, the hepatic artery and the portal vein.
    • The hepatic artery carries blood from the aorta to the liver, whereas the portal vein carries blood containing digested nutrients from the entire gastrointestinal tract and also from the spleen and pancreas to the liver.
    • Each lobule is made up of millions of hepatic cells which are the basic metabolic cells of the liver.
    • The neck tapers and connects to the biliary tree via the cystic duct, which then joins the common hepatic duct to become the common bile duct.

  • Associated Organs

    • The liver is supplied by two main blood vessels on its right lobe: the hepatic artery and the portal vein.
    • The hepatic veins drain directly into the inferior vena cava.
    • These eventually drain into the right and left hepatic ducts, which in turn merge to form the common hepatic duct.
    • The cystic duct, from the gallbladder, joins with the common hepatic duct to form the common bile duct.

  • Absorption of Alcohol

    • Chronic alcohol abuse can cause fatty liver, cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis .
    • Alcohol is a leading cause of liver cancer in the Western world, accounting for 32%-45% of hepatic cancers.
    • Alcohol use increases the risk of chronic gastritis (stomach inflammation); it is one cause of cirrhosis, hepatitis and pancreatitis in both its chronic and acute forms.
    • Chronic alcohol abuse can cause fatty liver, cirrhosis and alcoholic hepatitis.

  • Veins

    • For example, the hepatic portal vein takes blood from the capillary beds in the digestive tract and transports it to the capillary beds in the liver.
    • The blood is then drained in the gastrointestinal tract and spleen, where it is taken up by the hepatic veins and blood is taken back into the heart.
    • Since this is an important function in mammals, damage to the hepatic portal vein can be dangerous.
    • Blood clotting in the hepatic portal vein can cause portal hypertension, which results in a decrease of blood fluid to the liver.

  • Principal Veins

    • The renal and hepatic veins from the kidneys and liver respectively also feed into the inferior vena cava.
    • The hepatic portal vein carries blood from the gastrointestinal tract to the liver.

  • Transport of Hormones

    • For example, hormones secreted by the pancreas pass into the hepatic portal vein that transports them directly to the liver.