III. Main Diseases: Approach

When looking at liver diseases, keep in mind:

  • Aetiologic category – Helps you to remember cause and pathogenesis (eg. Vascular; Infectious, Neoplastic etc)
  • Cellular/subcellular and hence functional components affected (eg. hepatocytes; bile canaliculi; bile duct epithelium; central veins/sinusoids)
    • Helps to work out morphology (gross and micro)
    • Helps you work out clinical manifestations
    • eg. Alcoholic liver disease –>  abnormal lipid metabolism, free radicals, cytokines –>   steatosis, steatohepatitis –>  necrosis of hepatocytes  (Alcoholic Hepatitis) –>  nodular regeneration of hepatocytes with fibrosis (Cirrhosis) –>  portal hypertension, eventual Liver failure  

Here is a video mindmap of some liver diseases according to aetiologic categories.