2 of 3 Diseases affiliated with Hepatitis

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Cystic Disease of the Liver - These include choledochal cysts, Caroli's Syndrome, Congenital Hepatic Fibrosis, and Polycystic Liver Disease.

Fatty Liver - an accumulation of fat cells in the liver, common in patients who are overweight or who have diabetes.

Galactosemia - a rare hereditary disease caused by elevated levels of galactose (a sugar in milk) in the blood resulting from a deficiency of the liver enzyme required to break it down. The disease usually appears in the first few days of life following the ingestion of breast milk or formula. Vomiting, liver enlargement, and jaundice are often the earliest signs of the disease, but bacterial infections, irritability, failure to gain weight, and diarrhea may also occur.

Gallstones - this condition, affecting approximately 20 million Americans, can cause severe and intermittent pain in the right upper abdomen, as well as chronic indigestion and nausea. The removal of the gallbladder due to the formation of gallstones is the most common surgical procedure performed in the United States.

Gilbert's Syndrome - a relatively common and benign congenital (probably hereditary) liver disorder, found more frequently in males. It is characterized by a mild, fluctuating increase in serum bilirubin, a yellow pigment excreted by the liver into bile.

Hemochromatosis - a genetic condition that causes the body to absorb and store too much iron. While many individuals with this disease have no symptoms, injuries to the liver can slowly lead to cirrhosis if the illness is not treated.

Hepatitis A - this inflammation of the liver is usually caused by eating food or drinking water that has been contaminated with human excrement. Symptoms similar to the flu and fatigue may occur; however, the disease is rarely life threatening.

Hepatitis B - one of the most serious forms of hepatitis, this disease is more common and much more infectious than AIDS. Chronic hepatitis B may lead to scarring of the liver, called cirrhosis, and cancer of the liver. Individuals can protect themselves from hepatitis B with a safe and effective hepatitis B vaccine. (Click here for more information on the vaccine.)