Drop a Line
+91 95001 76660
Email Address
info@chennailiverfoundation.org
Visit Hospital
65/2, Water Canal Road, Korattur, Chennai – 76
Autoimmune hepatitis occurs when the body’s immune system attacks the liver cells. There is no cure for this condition, but liver failure treatment helps manage the symptoms and prevents further damage to the liver. It is a liver condition that must be managed throughout life.
Doctors are still not sure how this happens in the body. It could have something to do with genes since autoimmune hepatitis most likely runs in the family.
There are two types of autoimmune hepatitis; both are relatively rare diseases.
- Type 1 hepatitis is the more common type. More than half of people with Type 1 hepatitis have other autoimmune disorders, such as celiac disease, rheumatoid arthritis or ulcerative colitis.
- Type 2 hepatitis is more likely to develop in children and young adults than adults. You are also more likely to develop other autoimmune diseases if you have type-2 hepatitis.
If you have autoimmune hepatitis, you may also have lupus, ulcerative colitis, Sjogren’s syndrome or rheumatoid arthritis.
Apart from being related to your genome, the other likely cause is that your body would have come into contact with something which would have set the autoimmune hepatitis in motion. You could have come in contact with infections such as herpes, measles, Epstein-Barr and viral hepatitis. A lot of stress is also a risk factor.
While inactive and mild cases do not need treatment, severe cases require liver treatment.
- For many people, lifelong medication is required to manage the condition. Lifelong medicines are to keep the body’s immune response in control and maintain liver health.
- The medications given are prednisone and azathioprine.
- A liver transplant surgery is done if medications do not work. It is advised that a hepatologist supervise your treatment and surgery, a physician specialising in liver health.
Medical history
Your doctor will ask you about your symptoms. They will also enquire about the medicines you take and how much alcohol you consume Doctors will also want to know whether you suffer from other health conditions.
Physical exams
During a physical exam, the liver transplant surgeons checks for signs of liver damage in the body. The symptoms of a damaged liver are swelling in the lower legs and other parts of the body, changes in the skin, spleen enlargement or liver enlargement, whites of the eyes turning yellowish and swelling and tenderness of the abdomen.
Tests
Blood tests are taken to rule out other conditions such as viral hepatitis.
Blood tests are taken to check for autoantibodies, which are indicators of liver disease. If the tests indicate higher levels of certain liver enzymes, it is a sign of autoimmune hepatitis.
Imaging tests are done for your abdomen and liver. Ultrasounds also show whether the liver is enlarged and has an abnormal shape or structure
Doctors will ask you to take a computed tomography or CT scan that uses computer technology and x- rays to create images. CT scan shows signs of damage to the liver. MRI scans use radio waves to produce detailed images of organs to detect damage in the liver. These scans can show the liver’s shape and size and detect an abnormality.
