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Query: UMLS:C0015695 (fatty liver)
 13,941 document(s) hit in 31,850,051 MEDLINE articles (0.00 seconds)

In distinguishing normal from abnormal hepatic changes, the author described the expected changes in liver tests that occur during complicated pregnancy. This article reviews the forms of pre-existing liver disease that may affect or be affected by pregnancy, as well as liver diseases that tend to arise during pregnancy. Among the pre-existing liver diseases are autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, which may be activated by pregnancy and tends to be associated with an increased risk of still and premature births. Worsening of chronic hepatitis B and C has occasionally been observed. While some women with cirrhosis can sustain a normal pregnancy without any worsening of hepatic function, others develop liver failure; plus, women with cirrhosis are less fertile and have higher rates of both stillbirths and premature infants. Other liver disorders that may or may not be affected by pregnancy include Dubin-Johnson syndrome, Gilbert syndrome, benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis, Wilson's disease, hepatic adenomas, and focal nodular hyperplasia. Among the hepatic disorders that occur during pregnancy in normally healthy women and then resolve after delivery is intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (also known as pruritus gravidarum, recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy, and obstetric hepatosis). Others include acute fatty liver of pregnancy and HELLP syndrome (hemolysis, elevated liver enzymes, and low platelet count), which may be part of the spectrum of disorders associated with pre-eclampsia/eclampsia. Pregnancy may also trigger the dissemination of herpes infection to the liver.
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PMID:Liver problems in pregnancy: part 2--managing pre-existing and pregnancy-induced liver disease. 973 96

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is a spectrum of liver disease whose hallmark is the accumulation of large-droplet fat in hepatocytes. This metabolic disorder occurs mainly in overweight or obese individuals. The disease mechanism involves hyperinsulinemia and hepatic insulin resistance, not ethanol abuse. NAFLD may be the hepatic manifestation of the "metabolic syndrome" classically associated with type 2 diabetes mellitus and cardiovascular disease. NAFLD ranges from simple steatosis, which is the least rapidly progressing disorder, to nonalcoholic steatohepatitis to cirrhosis, which can evolve to chronic liver failure. The high prevalence of NAFLD in children has been recognized only in the past 5 to 10 years, as rates of childhood obesity have soared. Accordingly, the best strategies for diagnosis and treatment of childhood NAFLD are a work in progress and remain controversial. Weight reduction through a healthy diet and regular medium-intensity exercise is the mainstay of current treatment. Few research data are available to guide pharmacologic therapy. Certain points regarding management of childhood NAFLD require emphasis: It is a serious liver disease that requires detailed clinical investigation. Other liver diseases causing fatty liver and/or abnormal liver tests, notably Wilson disease and chronic viral hepatitis, need to be excluded. Liver biopsy can provide critical diagnostic and staging information. Associated genetic or endocrine disorders need to be identified. Treatment should begin with a low-glycemic index diet that provides adequate nutrients but is low in harmful fats and eliminates foods causing postprandial hyperglycemia. Initially, this can target two to three problem foods so that it is easy for the adolescent to follow. Regular exercise suited to the capabilities and interests of the teenager should be added to the daily routine. Where possible, a team approach, including a dietician and psychologist, should be utilized, as adolescents do better in a supportive atmosphere. Optimal drug treatment requires further research: current front-runners are vitamin E and metformin. The roles of drugs that alter appetite and bariatric surgery for adolescents with NAFLD have not been determined.
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PMID:Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease (NAFLD): Approach in the Adolescent Patient. 1694 68