hepatitis

Also known as hepatitides, acute and subacute liver necrosis, acute and subacute necrosis of liver, acute hepatitis, animal hepatitis, acute and subacute liver necrosis NOS, acute/subac. necrosis of liver, liveritis

AI overview

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue that can range from causing no symptoms at all to causing jaundice, poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. It matters because acute hepatitis can sometimes progress to chronic hepatitis or serious complications like liver failure, and chronic hepatitis can eventually lead to cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer.

AI-generated from the Wikipedia summary — may contain errors.

Key facts

Medical condition (new).name: Hepatitis
Medical condition (new).image: Alcoholic_hepatitis.jpg
Medical condition (new).caption: Alcoholic hepatitis as seen with a microscope, showing fatty changes (white circles), remnants of dead liver cells, and Mallory bodies (twisted-rope shaped inclusions within some liver cells). (H&E stain)
Medical condition (new).field: Infectious disease, gastroenterology, hepatology
Medical condition (new).symptoms: Yellowish skin, poor appetite, abdominal pain
Medical condition (new).complications: Scarring of the liver, liver failure, liver cancer
Medical condition (new).duration: Short term or long term
Medical condition (new).causes: Viral infections (Hepatitis A, B, C, D, E), alcohol, drugs/toxins, autoimmune diseases, metabolic disorders
Medical condition (new).prevention: Vaccination (for viral hepatitis), avoiding excessive alcohol
Medical condition (new).treatment: Medication, liver transplant

~75 min read

Article

85 sections

Contents

Signs and symptoms
Acute hepatitis
Fulminant hepatitis
Chronic hepatitis
Causes
Infectious
Viral hepatitis
Parasitic hepatitis
Bacterial hepatitis
Metabolic
Alcoholic hepatitis
Toxic and drug-induced hepatitis
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
Autoimmune
Genetic
Ischemic hepatitis
Other
Mechanism
Viral hepatitis
Steatohepatitis
Diagnosis
Viral hepatitis
Alcoholic versus non-alcoholic
Virus screening
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis D
Prevention
Vaccines
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Other
Behavioral changes
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B and C
Hepatitis D
Hepatitis E
Alcoholic and metabolic hepatitis
Successes
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Alcoholic hepatitis
Treatment
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Acute
Chronic
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis D
Hepatitis E
Alcoholic hepatitis
Metabolic hepatitis
Autoimmune hepatitis
Prognosis
Acute hepatitis
Fulminant hepatitis
Chronic hepatitis
Epidemiology
Viral hepatitis
Hepatitis A
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis D
Hepatitis E
Alcoholic hepatitis
Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis
History
Early observations
Willowbrook State School experiments
Australia antigen
Society and culture
Economic burden
2003 Monaca outbreak
Special populations
HIV co-infection
Pregnancy
Hepatitis B
Hepatitis C
Hepatitis E
Vaccine
See also
References
External links

Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver tissue. Some people or animals with hepatitis have no symptoms, whereas others develop yellow discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes (jaundice), poor appetite, vomiting, tiredness, abdominal pain, and diarrhea. Hepatitis is acute if it resolves within six months, and chronic if it lasts longer than six months. Acute hepatitis can resolve on its own, progress to chronic hepatitis, or (rarely) result in acute liver failure. Chronic hepatitis may progress to scarring of the liver (cirrhosis), liver failure, and liver cancer.

Hepatitis is most commonly caused by the virus hepatovirus A, B, C, D, and E. Other viruses can also cause liver inflammation, including cytomegalovirus, Epstein–Barr virus, and yellow fever virus. Other common causes of hepatitis include heavy alcohol use, certain medications, toxins, other infections, autoimmune diseases, and non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH). Hepatitis A and E are mainly spread by contaminated food and water. Hepatitis B is mainly sexually transmitted, but may also be passed from mother to baby during pregnancy or childbirth and spread through infected blood. Hepatitis C is commonly spread through infected blood; for example, during needle sharing by intravenous drug users. Hepatitis D can only infect people already infected with hepatitis B.