Chronic hepatitis (Definition)
(Key words: chronic hepatitis, definition, syndrome)
For consumers:
- Chronic hepatitis is not a disease due to a single cause, it may be caused by many factors such as: viruses (B, C, D), drugs, autoimmune and others.
- Alcoholic induced liver disease is not included.
- The hepatitis C virus (HCV) is one of the most important causes of chronic liver disease in the United States. It accounts for 60 to 70 percent of chronic hepatitis, and up to 50 percent of cirrhosis, end-stage liver disease, and liver cancer.
- Almost 4 million Americans, or 1.8 percent of the U.S. population, have antibody to HCV (anti-HCV), indicating ongoing or previous infection with the virus.
For professionals:
Definition:
- Syndrome:
- It is not a single disease, but rather a clinical and pathological syndrome.
- Causes:
- Viral, drug, autoimmune, unclassified, and specific types.
- Charaterized by:
- varing degree of hepatocellular necrosis and inflammation:
- ----- grading and staging (clinical, morphological)
- Chronicity:
- A continuing disease without improvement.
- It requires a time factor of at least six months duration including
both clinical and laboratory features, but not a histological
change.
- Sometimes, diagnosis has already been made and therapy begun before
such a time requirement.
- Specific types are also included: (PBC, PSC, Wilson's d., £\1-antitrypsin deficiency)
- Alcohol abuse: not included ----- different histological pattern.
