The spectrum of liver disease in an Australian teaching hospital: a prospective study of 205 patients

Abstract

The range of liver diseases presenting during one year to a metropolitan hospital was assessed from the results of a prospective study on 205 patients in whom liver biopsy was required. Assessment was based on clinical and biochemical indices, autoimmune serological tests and histologic assessment; these were correlated for each patient and a final consensus was reached by review of all the data. The initial histological assessment was carried out independently by observers without knowledge of other findings. The most frequent causes of liver disease were alcoholism (29% of cases) and metastatic cancer (12% of cases). The commonest manifestation of alcoholic liver disease was chronic alcoho..