Curriculum · Gastroenterology
Autoimmune hepatitis
What it is
Autoimmune hepatitis is an autoimmune disease of the liver. It is common in females and primarily develops in women aged 20 to 40 years, and it is associated with other autoimmune disease: 50% of patients have another one, such as thyroiditis, ulcerative colitis or synovitis.
Hepatocellular injury is what it does, and liver failure is where it ends. The autoimmune conditions it is associated with are named: DM-1, celiac disease, Graves, vitiligo and ulcerative colitis.
How it presents
The liver injury is hepatocellular. The clinical presentation ranges from an asymptomatic elevation of aminotransferase levels to acute liver failure, so it may be found on a routine blood test or in a patient who already has liver failure.
The symptoms divide in two. Non-specific: fatigue and weight loss. Hepatic: jaundice, RUQ pain, fever, hepatomegaly, splenomegaly and ascites.