Hepatitis

Hepatitis is a common name for a group of inflammatory liver diseases of various etiologies.
A characteristic manifestation of the disease is jaundice (staining of the skin and mucous membranes in yellow due to the entry of bilirubin into the bloodstream), however, often there are also non-jaundice forms. In blood tests, an increase in the level of hepatic transaminases – ALT and AST-is detected. 

The causes of the disease can be different:
- viruses (A, B, C, D, E, F, G)
- hepatotoxic medicinal substances (medicinal hepatitis)
- autoimmune reactions (autoimmune hepatitis)
- alcohol intake (alcoholic hepatitis)
- exposure to various toxic substances 
- exposure to radiation, etc.

Symptoms of hepatitis are often non-specific: general weakness, increased fatigue, decreased performance, possible extrahepatic manifestations (rashes on the skin, joint pain, etc.), dyspeptic manifestations, discomfort in the right hypochondrium (severe pain, as a rule, does not happen).

To diagnose the disease, it is necessary to make a general and biochemical blood test, ultrasound of the abdominal organs. If the cause of hepatitis is unknown, an additional examination is conducted to find the cause of inflammation: a blood test for autoantibodies (AMA, ANA, etc.), viral hepatitis, determination of the level of copper in the blood, in unclear cases - a liver biopsy. A more accurate list of necessary examinations can only be determined by a doctor at an in-person consultation.

In the laboratory of pathomorphology, you can get a qualified histological opinion on the biopsy material obtained during a puncture liver biopsy performed in a surgical hospital, as well as consult ready-made histological preparations made in other medical institutions. In Vivo morphological examination of the liver allows you to clarify the degree of activity and the stage of the process in chronic hepatitis, to confirm or identify violations of the liver architectonics, to identify clinically significant changes in the liver tissue, to identify and verify the manifestations of drug-induced hepatitis, as well as rare forms of liver damage. This information is important for optimizing treatment tactics and improving the prognosis for chronic diffuse liver diseases.

Treatment of hepatitis depends on the cause that caused it, and should be carried out under the supervision of a doctor.