Hepatitis natural history, complications and prognosis
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Hepatitis Main Page |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
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Natural History
Clinically, the course of acute hepatitis varies widely from mild symptoms requiring no treatment to fulminant hepatic failure needing liver transplantation. Acute viral hepatitis is more likely to be asymptomatic in younger people. Symptomatic individuals may present after convalescent stage of 7 to 10 days, with the total illness lasting 2 to 6 weeks.[1]
Complications
- Liver cancer
- Liver failure
- Permanent liver damage, called cirrhosis
- Esophageal varices that can bleed
- Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (fluid in the abdomen that becomes infected)
Prognosis
The prognosis vary from one type of hepatitis to other.
References
- ↑ V.G. Bain and M. Ma, Acute Viral Hepatitis, Chapter 14, First principle of gastroenterology (an online text book)