Occult cirrhosis diagnosed by transient elastography is a frequent and under-monitored clinical entity

Occult liver disease: A multinational perspective

Occult liver disease refers to the presence of unrecognized chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. Liver disease is currently the eleventh cause of death globally, representing 4% of all deaths in the world. Alcohol consumption is the leading cause of cirrhosis globally, accounting for approximately 60% of cases. The estimated global prevalence of non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is 32.4% and has been steadily increasing over the last years. Viral hepatitis B and C accounted for 1.3 million deaths in 2020. Several studies in populations at high risk of chronic liver disease (elevated liver enzymes, type 2 diabetes, excessive alcohol consumption) have found an elevated prevalence of occult liver disease. Attempts should be made to assess the prevalence of occult liver disease in Latin America, a region with one of the highest rates of metabolic diseases and excessive alcohol consumption. Screening for NAFLD in high-risk subjects and screening for excessive drinking and alcohol use disorders at every level of medical care is relevant. Efforts should also focus on the early treatment of occult liver disease to try to reduce liver disease burden and, in the case of occult viral hepatitis infection, prevent further spreading.

Clinical Practice Guidelines of the Russian Society for the Study of the Liver, the Russian Gastroenterological Association, the National Scientific Society of Infectious Disease Specialists for the Diagnosis and Treatment of Chronic Hepatitis C

Аim:diagnosis and treatment algorithms in the clinical recommendations intended for general practitioners, gastroenterologists, infectious disease specialists, hepatologists on the of chronic hepatitis C are presented.

Summary.Chronic viral hepatitis C is a socially significant infection, the incidence of which in the Russian Federation remains significantly high. Over the past 10 years, great progress has been made in the treatment of hepatitis C — direct acting antiviral drugs have appeared. The spectrum of their effectiveness allows to achieve a sustained virological response in more than 90 % of cases, even in groups that were not previously considered even as candidates for therapy or were difficult to treat — patients receiving renal replacement therapy, after liver transplantation (or other organs), at the stage of decompensated liver cirrhosis, HIV co-infected, etc. Interferons are excluded from the recommendations due to their low effectiveness and a wide range of adverse events. The indications for the treatment have been expanded, namely, the fact of confirmation of viral replication. The terms of dispensary observation of patients without cirrhosis of the liver have been reduced (up to 12 weeks after the end of therapy). Also, these recommendations present approaches to active screening of hepatitis in risk groups, preventive and rehabilitation measures after the end of treatment.

Conclusion.Great success has been achieved in the treatment of chronic hepatitis C. In most cases, eradication of viral HCV infection is a real task even in patients at the stage of cirrhosis of the liver, with impaired renal function, HIV co-infection, after solid organs transplantation.

Spectrum, Screening, and Diagnosis of Alcohol-related Liver Disease

Alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) represents one of the leading causes of chronic liver disease and is a major cause of liver-related deaths worldwide. ALD encompasses a range of disorders including simple steatosis, alcoholic steatohepatitis, fibrosis, cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Patients with underlying ALD and continued heavy alcohol consumption can also develop an episode of acute-on-chronic liver injury called alcohol-associated hepatitis, the most severe form of the disease, which portends a poor prognosis. The most important risk factor for the development of ALD is the amount of alcohol consumed. Individual susceptibility to progression to advanced fibrosis among heavy drinkers is likely determined by a combination of behavioral, environmental, genetic, and epigenetic factors, but the mechanisms are largely unknown. The only effective therapy for ALD is prolonged alcohol abstinence. Diagnosis of ALD involves assessing patients for alcohol use disorder and signs of advanced liver disease. In clinical practice, the histological assessment for ALD diagnosis is uncommon, and it is usually based on the medical history, clinical manifestations, and laboratory and imaging tests. Several promising biomarkers that can have both diagnostic and prognostic value in patients with ALD have been identified in recent years. This review provides an overview of the clinical spectrum of ALD, the diagnostic approach of the disease from different perspectives as well as current diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers.

Metformin-Associated Lactic Acidosis in a Diabetic Patient with Normal Kidney Function and Occult Cirrhosis

Background

Lactic acidosis is a well-known complication of metformin accumulation in diabetic patients with kidney failure. However, it is not usual to raise the diagnosis of metformin-associated lactic acidosis when patients have normal kidney function. The causes of metformin-induced high lactate include the accumulation of normal doses of metformin in chronic kidney disease, an overdose of this drug without kidney failure, or an increase in lactate production due to the inhibition of liver gluconeogenesis. Case Presentation. We report the case of a 61-year-old diabetic man who was brought to the emergency room in a comatose state. His family reported abdominal pain with diarrhea in the last two days. He was found to have severe lactic acidosis with normal serum creatinine. He was on a regular dose of metformin, and his family denied any other medical history or any alcohol abuse. He showed no signs of infection, his liver enzymes were slightly elevated, and he had severe anemia. His hemodynamics deteriorated quickly within hours, and an abdominal computed tomography scan revealed no abnormalities. He underwent a laparotomy that ruled out mesenteric ischemia and revealed an abnormal liver. The liver biopsy later confirmed the diagnosis of cirrhosis.

Conclusions

We discuss here the probable causes of severe lactic acidosis and the role of metformin in exacerbating this acid-base disturbance in cirrhotic patients. Future research is needed to determine whether these patients might benefit from dialysis.

Liver-related Events in Human Immunodeficiency Virus-infected Persons With Occult Cirrhosis

BACKGROUND

Human immunodeficiency virus (HIV)-infected patients are at increased risk of liver-related mortality. The effect of occult cirrhosis (OcC), defined as preclinical compensated cirrhosis without any clinical findings, on liver-related events is unknown.

METHODS

HIV-infected patients from 2 Canadian cohorts underwent transient elastography (TE) examination and were classified as (1) OcC (TE ≥13 kPa with no sign of cirrhosis, including absence of thrombocytopenia and signs of advanced liver disease on ultrasound or gastroscopy); (2) overt cirrhosis (OvC) (TE ≥13 kPa with signs of cirrhosis); or (3) noncirrhotic patients (TE <13 kPa). Incidence and risk factors of liver-related events were investigated through Kaplan-Meier and Cox regression analyses, respectively. We estimated monitoring rates according to screening guidelines for hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) by OcC and OvC status.

RESULTS

A total of 1092 HIV-infected patients (51% coinfected with hepatitis C virus) were included. Prevalence of OcC and OvC at baseline was 2.7% and 10.7%, respectively. During a median follow-up of 1.8 (interquartile range, 1.5-2.8) years, the incidence of liver-related events in noncirrhosis, OcC, and OvC was 3.4 (95% confidence interval [CI], 1.2-7.3), 34.0 (95% CI, 6.0-104.0), and 37.0 (95% CI, 17.0-69.1) per 1000 person-years, respectively. Baseline OcC (adjusted hazard ratio [aHR], 7.1 [95% CI, 1.3-38.0]) and OvC (aHR, 8.5 [95% CI, 2.8-26.0]) were independently associated with liver-related events. Monitoring rates for HCC were lower in patients with OcC (24%) compared to those with OvC (40%).

CONCLUSIONS

HIV-infected patients with OcC have a high incidence of liver-related events. Greater surveillance and earlier recognition with appropriate screening strategies are necessary for improved outcomes.

The Role of Real Time Elastography in the Diagnosis of a Patient with Liver Cirrhosis and Carcinoma of the Uncinate Process of the Pancreas - Case Study

ABSTRACT: Hepatic cirrhosis represents the most advanced stage of any chronic liver disease characterized by progressive fibrosis. We report the case of a patient with carcinoma of the uncinate process of the pancreas and an occult form of liver cirrhosis. We concluded, based on the bioclinical profile, that the jaundice syndrome had an underlying mixed mechanism, obstructive and hepatic. Although, the clinical suspicion of pancreatic cancer was backed up by ultrasound, computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging, we did not obtain, through these imaging investigations, any indicative features of liver cirrhosis. In order to further evaluate the presence of liver cirrhosis, we assessed liver stiffness using two non-invasive methods: Transient Elastography and Real Time Tissue Elastography (RTE). We observed highly suggestive features of liver cirrhosis only through RTE, although its diagnostic accuracy still needs large validation studies. Intraoperative assessment confirmed the diagnosis of liver cirrhosis, changing also the type of surgical approach and patient prognosis.