Neonatal jaundice is the yellow discoloration of the skin, sclera (“whites” of the eyes), mouth and deeper lying tissues of the body in a newborn baby due to a high level of bilirubin in blood (hyperbilirubinemia). Jaundice can lead to a complication known as kernicterus which is the damage to the brain as a >> Read More ...
Cholesterol is a waxy substance known as a sterol that is manufactured primarily by the liver or to a lesser extent by other cells in the body (endogenous cholesterol) and is also absorbed from food in the gut (exogenous cholesterol). Cholesterol does not contain fatty acids but since it is made from fatty acid molecules, >> Read More ...
The term liver pain is often used to describe right upper quadrant pain or more specifically pain in the right hypochondrium of the abdomen. The are many causes of pain in this region but is often attributed to the liver since it occupies most of the space within this >> Read More ...
The bile ducts are a series of tubes that drain bile from the liver and either direct it to the gallbladder for temporary storage or pass it into the duodenum where it can be expelled with the feces. The biliary tree as it is known has many different parts, all of which serve the same function, and are prone to a number of >> Read More ...
Definition Acalculous cholecystitis is the term for inflammation of the gallbladder that is not due to the presence of gallstones. Most cases of acute cholecystitis (inflamed gallbladder) occurs due to gallbladder stones (within the gallbladder) or biliary stones (lodged in the bile duct). In these cases it is referred to >> Read More ...
The gallbladder is a hollow organ that stores bile, a fluid produced by the liver which contains a number of substances including wastes produced by the liver. It sits under the liver and empties bile out into the small intestine through the common bile duct. The gallbladder has a neck and its own duct, the cystic duct, >> Read More ...
All too often we refer to the abdomen as a stomach but this is incorrect. The stomach is a specific organ that lies in the upper left quadrant of the abdomen, mostly tucked under the left rib cage. The stomach can contain as much as 750mL (about 25oz) of digestive juice excluding the fluid that is consumed. Too much fluid >> Read More ...
The liver is one of the most versatile organs in the human body. It is responsible for a number of different functions, from metabolizing substances, neutralizing poisons, removing wastes from the blood and manufacturing important substances for overall health. Although the liver has a remarkable ability to regenerate, >> Read More ...
Fatty liver affects as many as 1 in 3 people in the United States and in rare instances can progress to serious liver disease. Yet it is a condition that is still not known to many people. Fatty liver is not just a problem for people who misuse alcohol. The condition has become more common in the past few decades in line >> Read More ...
Every year almost 40,000 Americans die from chronic liver disease and cirrhosis. This is just short of the number of female deaths from breast cancer annually. Liver disease is a serious public health concern but does not always get the attention that it deserves. Contrary to popular belief, liver disease is not only a >> Read More ...
