Diseases affiliated with Hepatitis ( 3 of 3 )

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Hepatitis C - this disease affects approximately 150,000 Americans each year. The most commonly recognized "risk factors" for acquiring hepatitis C virus include use of intravenous drugs, history of blood transfusions, hemodialysis and health care employment. Transmission may rarely occur through sexual contact.

Neonatal Hepatitis - inflammation of the liver that occurs only in early infancy, usually between one and two months after birth. Symptoms include jaundice, failure to grow or gain weight, and an enlarged liver and spleen.

Porphyria - a disease in which porphyrins, a chemical compound in the body, do not successfully perform their task of forming heme (the substance that makes blood red) in human beings. When they do not function properly, porphyrins build up in the body, causing a variety of symptoms ranging from abdominal pain and weakness to blisters on the skin.

Primary Biliary Cirrhosis - a chronic liver diseases that causes slow, progressive destruction of bile ducts in the liver. The disease is 10 times more frequent in women than men, and is usually diagnosed in people 30 to 60 years of age. Many patients have no symptoms and are diagnosed through the appearance of an abnormality on routine liver blood tests.

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis - a disease in which the bile ducts inside and outside the liver become narrowed due to inflammation and scarring. It usually begins in the 30's, 40's or 50's and is commonly associated with fatigue, itching and jaundice.

Reye's Syndrome - a rare complication of childhood respiratory infections characterized by vomiting that begins three to seven days after the onset of flu or chickenpox. It is believed that aspirin may contribute to the development of Reye's Syndrome. Other symptoms include listlessness, staring, and drowsiness.

Sarcoidosis - a systemic disease of unknown cause, in which nests of cells appear in many tissues, including the lung, lymph nodes and liver. Blacks are affected about 15 times more often than whites in the United States, with the highest incidence in the southeastern states.

Tyrosinemia - a genetic inborn error of metabolism associated with severe liver disease in infancy. Children may have either the acute form, in which symptoms appear in the first month of life, or a more chronic form. In both cases, liver transplantation is required.

Type I Glycogen Storage Disease - a deficiency of the enzyme glucose - 6 - phosphatase which helps in maintaining a normal blood glucose (sugar concentration) during fasting. Symptoms include growth failure, a greatly enlarged liver, and a distended abdomen.

's Disease - An inherited disorder of copper secretion by the liver. Copper accumulates in the liver and nervous system leading to severe liver and neurological disease. Penicillamine is a successful treatment for patients with early 's Disease; liver transplantation is indicated for those with very advanced disease.

This list does NOT include all Liver disEases and conditions.