Hepatitis

Injury	Disease	Nutrition	Poison

Symptoms	Surgery	Test	Special Topic

Hepatitis B virus

Hepatitis C

Gianotti-Crosti syndrome on the leg

Liver anatomy

Overview

Symptoms

Treatment

Prevention

Hepatitis

Symptoms:

The symptoms of hepatitis include:

Dark urine and pale or clay-colored stools
Loss of appetite
Fatigue
Abdominal pain or distention
General itching
Jaundice (yellowing of the skin or eyes)
Nausea and vomiting
Low grade fever
Weight loss
Breast development in males

Many people with hepatitis B or C do not have symptoms when first infected and can still develop liver failure later. If you have any risk factors for either type of hepatitis, you should be tested periodically.

Signs and tests:

A physical examination may show yellowing of the skin, an enlarged and tender liver, or fluid in the abdomen (ascites) that can become infected.

Your doctor may order laboratory tests, including:

Hepatitis virus serologies
Liver function tests
Autoimmune blood markers
Abdominal ultrasound
Liver biopsy to determine severity of the liver damage
Paracentesis if fluid in your abdomen is present

References:

Rocca LG. Management of patients with hepatitis C in a community setting: diagnosis, discussions and decisions to treat. Ann Fam Med. 2004; 2(2): 116-124.

Lin KW. Hepatitis B. Am Fam Physician. 2004; 69(1): 75-82.

Zimmerman RK. Recommended childhood and adolescent immunization schedule. Am Fam Physician. 2003; 67(1): 188,190, 195-196.

Review Date: 10/27/2005
Reviewed By: Courtney W. Houchen, M.D., Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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