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Hepatitis - Overview

Definición:

Es la hinchazón e inflamación del hígado. No es una afección, pero con frecuencia se utiliza para referirse a una infección viral del hígado.

Causas:

La hepatitis puede ser causada por:

Células inmunitarias en el cuerpo que atacan el hígado y causan hepatitis autoinmunitaria
Infecciones por virus (como la hepatitis A, B o C), bacterias o parásitos
Daño hepático por alcohol, hongos venenosos u otros tóxicos
Medicamentos, como una sobredosis de paracetamol, que puede ser mortal

Para mayor información acerca de las causas y factores de riesgo de los diferentes tipos de hepatitis, ver también:

La enfermedad hepática también puede ser causada por trastornos hereditarios, como la fibrosis quística o la hemocromatosis, una afección que consiste en tener demasiado hierro en el cuerpo (el exceso de hierro se deposita en el hígado).

Otras causas abarcan la enfermedad de Wilson.

Virus de hepatitis B

Hepatitis C

Síndrome de Gianotti-Crosti en la pierna

Anatomía del hígado

Reviewed last on: 11/23/2010
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; and George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

Referencias

Dienstag JL. Hepatitis B virus infection. N Engl J Med. 2008;359:1486-1500.

Jou JH, Muir AJ. In the clinic. Hepatitis C. Ann Intern Med. 2008;148:iTC6-1-ITC6-16.

Sjogren MH, Cheatham JG. Hepatitis A. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 9th ed. Philadelphia, Pa:Saunders Elsevier; 2010:chap 77.

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