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Jaundice in the Alcoholic

Jaundice in the Alcoholic Abstract A history of alcoholism in a patient complaining of jaundice is apt to suggest an otherwise uncomplicated hepatic cirrhosis. Valuable as it often is in this regard, such a history may at times prove quite misleading. The physician may discover, to his surprise, that he is not dealing with cirrhosis in its usual manifestations nor even with liver disease. It is well to bear in mind that cirrhosis occurs in only one out of every 12 alcoholics, although it is seven time as common in the alcoholic as in the nonalcoholic.1 As Klatskin has indicated, this implies, among other factors, differences in individual susceptibility to the effects of alcohol.1 The alcoholic who stops eating but continues drinking may suffer marked inflammatory and degenerative changes superimposed on a preexisting fatty or cirrhotic liver.2 This disorder has been well described by Phillips and Davidson and is characterized by fever, leukocytosis, References 1. Klatskin, G.: Alcohol and Its Relation to Liver Damage , Gastroenterology 41:443, 1961. 2. Phillips, G. B., and Davidson, C. S.: Acute Hepatic Insufficienty of the Chronic Alcoholic: Clinical and Pathological Study , A.M.A. Arch. Intern. Med. 94:585, 1954.Crossref 3. Zieve, L., and Hill, E.: Two Varieties of Hemolytic Anemia in Cirrhosis , Southern Med. J. 54:1347, 1961.Crossref 4. Zieve, L.: Jaundice, Hyperlipemia and Hemolytic Anemia: A Heretofore Unrecognized Syndrome Associated with Alcoholic Fatty Liver and Cirrhosis , Ann. Intern. Med. 48:471, 1958.Crossref 5. Jandl, J. H.: The Anemia of Liver Disease: Observations on Its Mechanism , J. Clin. Invest. 34:390, 1955.Crossref 6. Neefe, J. R.; Norris, R. F.; Reinhold, J. G.; Mitchell, C. B., and Howell, D. S.: Carriers of Hepatitis Virus in the Blood and Viral Hepatitis in Whole Blood Recipients , J.A.M.A. 154:1066, 1954.Crossref 7. Schenker, S.; Balint, J., and Schiff, L.: Differential Diagnosis of Jaundice: Report of a Prospective Study of 61 Proved Cases , Amer. J. Dig. Dis. 7:449, 1962.Crossref 8. Howard, J. M., and Jordan, G. L.: Surgical Diseases of the Pancreas , Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott Company, 1960. 9. Phillips, G. B., and Davidson, C. S.: Liver Disease of the Chronic Alcoholic Simulating Extrahepatic Biliary Obstruction , Gastroenterology 33:236, 1957. http://www.deepdyve.com/assets/images/DeepDyve-Logo-lg.png Archives of Internal Medicine American Medical Association

Jaundice in the Alcoholic

Archives of Internal Medicine , Volume 110 (6) – Dec 1, 1962

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References (10)

Publisher
American Medical Association
Copyright
Copyright © 1962 American Medical Association. All Rights Reserved.
ISSN
0003-9926
eISSN
1538-3679
DOI
10.1001/archinte.1962.03620240006003
Publisher site
See Article on Publisher Site

Abstract

Abstract A history of alcoholism in a patient complaining of jaundice is apt to suggest an otherwise uncomplicated hepatic cirrhosis. Valuable as it often is in this regard, such a history may at times prove quite misleading. The physician may discover, to his surprise, that he is not dealing with cirrhosis in its usual manifestations nor even with liver disease. It is well to bear in mind that cirrhosis occurs in only one out of every 12 alcoholics, although it is seven time as common in the alcoholic as in the nonalcoholic.1 As Klatskin has indicated, this implies, among other factors, differences in individual susceptibility to the effects of alcohol.1 The alcoholic who stops eating but continues drinking may suffer marked inflammatory and degenerative changes superimposed on a preexisting fatty or cirrhotic liver.2 This disorder has been well described by Phillips and Davidson and is characterized by fever, leukocytosis, References 1. Klatskin, G.: Alcohol and Its Relation to Liver Damage , Gastroenterology 41:443, 1961. 2. Phillips, G. B., and Davidson, C. S.: Acute Hepatic Insufficienty of the Chronic Alcoholic: Clinical and Pathological Study , A.M.A. Arch. Intern. Med. 94:585, 1954.Crossref 3. Zieve, L., and Hill, E.: Two Varieties of Hemolytic Anemia in Cirrhosis , Southern Med. J. 54:1347, 1961.Crossref 4. Zieve, L.: Jaundice, Hyperlipemia and Hemolytic Anemia: A Heretofore Unrecognized Syndrome Associated with Alcoholic Fatty Liver and Cirrhosis , Ann. Intern. Med. 48:471, 1958.Crossref 5. Jandl, J. H.: The Anemia of Liver Disease: Observations on Its Mechanism , J. Clin. Invest. 34:390, 1955.Crossref 6. Neefe, J. R.; Norris, R. F.; Reinhold, J. G.; Mitchell, C. B., and Howell, D. S.: Carriers of Hepatitis Virus in the Blood and Viral Hepatitis in Whole Blood Recipients , J.A.M.A. 154:1066, 1954.Crossref 7. Schenker, S.; Balint, J., and Schiff, L.: Differential Diagnosis of Jaundice: Report of a Prospective Study of 61 Proved Cases , Amer. J. Dig. Dis. 7:449, 1962.Crossref 8. Howard, J. M., and Jordan, G. L.: Surgical Diseases of the Pancreas , Philadelphia, J. B. Lippincott Company, 1960. 9. Phillips, G. B., and Davidson, C. S.: Liver Disease of the Chronic Alcoholic Simulating Extrahepatic Biliary Obstruction , Gastroenterology 33:236, 1957.

Journal

Archives of Internal MedicineAmerican Medical Association

Published: Dec 1, 1962

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