Liver disease in haemophiliacs: an overstated problem?

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 p...

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Bibliographic Details
Published inBritish journal of haematology Vol. 55; no. 4; p. 649
Main Authors Stevens, R F, Cuthbert, A C, Perera, P R, Whitwell, H L, Haboubi, N Y, Warnes, T W, Smith, A, Craske, J, Longson, M, Wensley, R T
Format Journal Article
LanguageEnglish
Published England 01.12.1983
Subjects
Adolescent
Adult
Galactose - metabolism
Hemophilia A - complications
Hemophilia A - pathology
Hepatitis, Chronic - blood
Hepatitis, Chronic - complications
Hepatitis, Chronic - pathology
Humans
Liver - pathology
Liver Function Tests
Transaminases - blood
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Summary: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.
ISSN:0007-1048
DOI:10.1111/j.1365-2141.1983.00649.x