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Liver disease in haemophiliacs: an overstated problem?
Author(s) -
Stevens Richard F.,
Cuthbert Ann C.,
Perera Piyaseeli R.,
Whitwell Helen L.,
Haboubi Najib Y.,
Warnes Thomas W.,
Smith Alexander,
Craske John,
Longson Maurice,
Wensley Richard T.,
Delamore Irvine W.
Publication year - 1983
Publication title -
british journal of haematology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.907
H-Index - 186
eISSN - 1365-2141
pISSN - 0007-1048
DOI - 10.1111/j.1365-2141.1983.00649.x
Subject(s) - asymptomatic , medicine , cirrhosis , liver biopsy , liver function tests , liver function , liver disease , chronic liver disease , chronic hepatitis , hepatitis , biopsy , gastroenterology , immunology , virus
S ummary. Successful percutaneous liver biopsy was carried out on 12 multi‐transfused haemophiliacs from the Manchester area with persistently abnormal liver function tests. Only one patient showed evidence of chronic active hepatitis with progression to active micronodular cirrhosis although a further four patients showed some evidence of mild chronic active hepatitis. This represents a much lower incidence of severe histological liver damage than many previous reports and implies that liver biopsy in asymptomatic haemophiliacs may not be indicated as a routine procedure, particularly in the absence of proven therapy. Dynamic liver function tests may prove to be a useful indicator of deteriorating liver function in the otherwise asymptomatic haemophiliac.