HEPATOLOGY
In medicine, diseases (or disorders) of the liver and bile ducts are a group of medical conditions that affect the liver and/or bile tree. They include infectious, metabolic and genetic diseases, as well as hepatocellular lesions due to cirrhosis or cancer.
Our medical teams treat diseases of the liver and bile ducts (stones, tumours, hepatitis, etc.).
Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver caused by a viral infection.
There are five types of viral hepatitis: A, B, C, D and E. Acute viral hepatitis can lead to chronic hepatitis (persistent liver inflammation), which can lead to cirrhosis (scarring) and liver cancer.
DISEASES OF THE PANCREAS
Pancreatic diseases (treated in our Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department) are diseases of the pancreas, a gland located behind the stomach. The pancreas is both an endocrine organ, which secretes hormones, and an exocrine gland, which produces digestive enzymes to help digest food.
Diseases of the pancreas include:
- Acute pancreatitis: This is an inflammation of the pancreas that can be mild or severe. It can be caused by gallstones or alcohol abuse. Symptoms include pain in the upper abdomen and back, nausea, vomiting and diarrhoea with pale stools. Treatment depends on the cause.
- Chronic pancreatitis: This is an ongoing inflammation of the pancreas that can lead to scarring and damage over time. Like acute pancreatitis, chronic pancreatitis can be caused by alcohol abuse or gallstones (chronic cholecystitis). Symptoms include abdominal pain that gets worse with eating or drinking, nausea and vomiting, diarrhoea with pale stools (again), weight loss and tiredness, and yellow skin due to jaundice.
We present to you some articles relating to pathologies treated in our Mediterranean clinic, with an effective and efficient medical and paramedical team.
Your Ultimate Guide to Gallstones: Prevention, Treatment and Lifestyle Changes
Liver cirrhosis is a serious condition that can cause permanent damage. Learn about the symptoms, causes and treatments in this comprehensive guide.
Colon cancer is one of the most common cancers in humans. This is a problem that affects the cells in the inner lining of the colon. When detected early, colorectal cancer is preventable.
You ask, our teams answer.
F.A.Q
Gallstones (supported by our Gastroenterology and Hepatology Department) are small hard deposits that form in the gallbladder. They are made up of cholesterol and other substances found in bile. The gallbladder is a small organ that is part of the digestive system. It stores bile until it is needed to digest fats in food. Bile is produced by the liver, stored in the gallbladder and released into the small intestine to help digest fats.
Gallstones can be as small as a grain of sand or as large as a golf ball. They are usually yellowish or brownish, but can be white or green. They are often described by their shape: Staghorn stones look like deer antlers, dumbbell stones look like dumbbells, and blocky stones have sharp edges like bricks.
Most people do not know they have gallstones until they have surgery to remove them, or until they have symptoms such as pain or bleeding in the bile ducts (the tubes that carry bile).
Peritonitis is an infection of the peritoneum, the thin membrane that lines the inside wall of the abdomen. The most common cause is a ruptured appendix. Peritonitis can also result from damage to other organs or be a complication of abdominal surgery.
Peritonitis can be acute (sudden onset) or chronic (developing over time). Acute peritonitis usually develops as a result of a ruptured appendix or other cause of bowel obstruction. Chronic peritonitis can occur in people with ulcers, diverticulosis, Crohn’s disease, cancer or appendicitis.
Peritonitis can be mild with few symptoms or severe and life-threatening. Symptoms include fever and chills, nausea and vomiting, tenderness and abdominal pain in the lower right quadrant of the abdomen, diarrhoea with blood and mucus, yellow-greenish skin and white eyes (jaundice), low blood pressure, rapid heartbeat (tachycardia), confusion and disorientation.
Hepatology is the branch of medicine concerned with the study, diagnosis, treatment and prevention of diseases of the affected liver. The word hepatology comes from the ancient Greek ἡπατο-, hēpatos meaning ‘liver’ and -λογία, -logia meaning ‘study’.
The liver is a vital organ that performs many functions for the body. It produces bile to aid digestion and stores energy in the form of glycogen. It also produces substances that help the blood to clot and destroy old red blood cells. The liver also helps to remove certain drugs from the blood and metabolises nutrients and vitamins.
Many diseases can affect the liver. These include viral hepatitis, cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), cancerous tumours and other cancers such as leukaemia (blood cancer). There are also autoimmune diseases that affect this organic system, such as primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC), which is an inflammation of the bile ducts within the walls of the liver membrane tissue, resulting in scarring and blockage of these structures, which can eventually lead to cirrhosis if left untreated for too long without appropriate medical intervention. Other autoimmune diseases can also affect other organs in your body, such as rheumatoid arthritis.
Adenocarcinoma (treated in our Gastroenterology and Hepatology Unit) is a type of cancer that develops from glandular tissue. It can occur in any part of the body, but is more common in the lining of the lungs, breast and digestive system.
Adenocarcinomas tend to grow slowly. There are three different types of adenocarcinoma:
Adenocarcinomas that start in glandular tissues are called primary adenocarcinomas. These cancers usually develop in the lungs or other organs with many glands. Most lung cancers are primary adenocarcinomas.
Cancers that start as non-gland cancer cells but then spread to resemble a gland are called secondary adenocarcinomas. These cancers often start in another organ and then spread to other parts of the body, such as lymph nodes (small structures near the lymph vessels), bones, or other organs that contain many glands. Secondary adenocarcinomas may also be called metastatic adenocarcinomas.
