Liver Care
Conditions we treat
- Ascites
- Alcoholic liver disease
- Alagille syndrome
- Autoimmune hepatitis
- Budd-Chiari syndrome
- Byler disease
- Cancer
- Carcinoma
- Caroli disease
- Cirrhosis
- Congenital liver defects
- Crigler-Najjar syndrome
- Cysts
- Cystic disease
- Dubin-Johnson syndrome
- Duodenal mass
- Esophageal varices
- Fatty liver
- Galactosemia
- Gilbert syndrome
- Glycogen storage disease
- Hemangioma
- Hemochromatosis
- Hemophilia
- Hepatitis
- Hepatocellular cancer
- Intrahepatic biliary tract cancer
- Jaundice
- Liver lesions
- Liver Mass
- Liver Mets
- Metastatic cancer
- Porphyria
- Portal hypertension
- Portal vein thrombosis
- Primary biliary cirrhosis
- Protoporphyria
- Reye’s syndrome
- Sarcoidosis
- Sclerosing cholangitis
- Thalassemia
- Thrombophilia
- Tumors (neuroendocrine, liver, etc.)
- Tyrosinemia
- Von Willebrand disease
- Wilson's disease
Alcohol-Induced Liver Disease
Alcohol-induced liverdisease is damage to the liver caused by consuming too much alcohol. There are three primary types:
- Fatty liver disease -- a buildup of fat inside the liver cells which enlarges the liver and causes discomfort
- Alcoholic hepatitis-- whereby the liver swells, cells are destroyed and the liver is scarred
- Alcoholic cirrhosis -- the destruction of normal liver tissue
Symptoms:
- Enlarged spleen
- Fever
- Fluid build-up in the abdominal area
- Increased white blood-cell count
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
- Kidney failure
Should your symptoms match those associated with alcohol-induced liver disease, the Liver Clinic offers expert diagnostic and treatment services, including:
Diagnostic:
- Assessing your symptoms
- Blood tests
- Considering your medical history
- Laboratory tests
- Liver biopsy
- Physical examination
Treatment:
The primary treatment for alcohol-induced liver disease is abstinence from alcohol. Often the liver can repair some of the damage, except for the scarring caused by cirrhosis.
Liver Cancer
Liver cancer is an abnormal growth of cells in the liver. The liver, located just above your stomach, is one of the body’s major organs. It helps get rid of harmful substances, digests fats, store sugar (used for energy) and makes proteins (building blocks for all of the body's cells). Cancer of the liver can be divided into two main types: primary and secondary (metastatic). However, depending on the size, location and stage of cancer, there are many name variations. We work with you to develop a treatment plan dedicated to the best possible outcome.
If you are diagnosed with liver cancer, you are in excellent hands at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview. Our providers collaborate closely with the University of Minnesota Cancer Center which is one of only 39 comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S. designated by the National Cancer Institute.
SymptomsIf you are diagnosed with liver cancer, you are in excellent hands at University of Minnesota Medical Center, Fairview. Our providers collaborate closely with the University of Minnesota Cancer Center which is one of only 39 comprehensive cancer centers in the U.S. designated by the National Cancer Institute.
- Pain or discomfort on the right side (upper belly or near the right shoulder blade)
- A hard lump on the right side just below the rib cage
- Unexplained weight loss
- Loss of appetite
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and whites of the eyes)
- General deterioration of health
Diagnosing primary liver cancer
The diagnositc process involves considering your:
- Medical history
- Symptoms
- Physical exam results
- Other test results
- Blood tests, including tests that check how well the liver is working
- Ultrasound or CT scan of the liver
- Laparoscopy: A surgical procedure to look at the organs inside the belly
- Liver biopsy: The removal of cells or tissues for testing
Primary Liver Cancer
Primary liver cancer starts from cells in the liver. The two most common forms of primary liver cancer are:
- Hepatoma -- often associated with other liver diseases such as cirrhosis and hepatitis B or C infections
- Cholangiocarcinoma: a rare tumor which develops in bile duct cells
Treating primary liver cancer
Treatment depends on the cancer's stage. Treatments may include:
- Surgery to remove part or all of the tumor
- Chemotherapy, which uses anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors
- High-energy radio waves (radio frequency ablation)
- Freezing with a cold probe
- Injecting alcohol or drugs into the tumor to destroy the tumor
- Liver transplantation if the tumor is a specific tumor type and is very small
Secondary (Metastatic) Liver Cancer
Secondary liver cancer is a cancer that starts in another part of the body and spreads to the liver. It is much more common in the U.S. than primary liver cancer. The most likely body areas where cancer starts and then spreads to the liver are the lungs, breasts and large intestine.
Treating secondary liver cancer
Treatment depends on the cancer's stage. Treatments may include:
Surgery to remove part or all of the tumor
- Chemotherapy, which uses anticancer drugs to kill cancer cells and shrink tumors
- High-energy radio waves (radio frequency ablation)
- Freezing with a cold probe
- Injecting alcohol or drugs into the tumor to destroy the tumor
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a term describing scarring of the liver -- the result of chronic liver damage caused by any number of liver diseases. This scarring makes the liver unable to function. Cirrhosis cannot be reversed, but some treatments can stop or delay additional damage and reduce complications.
Symptoms:
At first there may not be any symptoms, or the symptoms may be very mild. Symptoms of cirrhosis may include:
Cirrhosis is a term describing scarring of the liver -- the result of chronic liver damage caused by any number of liver diseases. This scarring makes the liver unable to function. Cirrhosis cannot be reversed, but some treatments can stop or delay additional damage and reduce complications.
Symptoms:
At first there may not be any symptoms, or the symptoms may be very mild. Symptoms of cirrhosis may include:
- Being tired
- Easy bruising
- Loss of appetite
- Fever
- Nausea or vomiting
- Jaundice, a yellowing of the skin and eyes
- Itching
- Abdominal pain
- Swelling of the abdomen or ankles
- Bleeding from the stomach and esophagus
- Weight loss
The Liver Clinic offers diagnostic and treatment options for cirrhosis patients, including:
Diagnostic:
- Assessing your symptoms
- Blood tests
- Considering your medical history
- Laboratory tests
- Liver biopsy
- Physical examination
Treatment:
- Abstinence from alcohol (if cirrhosis is alcohol induced)
- Healthful diet
- Medical management (if cirrhosis is caused by hepatitis)
- Transplant
Congenital Liver Defects
As the name implies, congenital liver defects are those present at birth. These defects affect the flow of bile, disrupting the liver's function. Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency is a genetic disorder that may lead to liver and/or lung disease. It is a common cause of liver disease in children.
Symptoms:
Symptoms:
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
- Urine that is darker than normal
- Stool that is paler than normal
Should symptoms match those associated with congenital liver disease, the Liver Clinic offers expert diagnostic and treatment services including, but not limited to:
Diagnostic:
- Assorted laboratory tests
- Blood tests
- Liver biopsy
- Physical exam
- Medical history
- Symptoms
Treatment:
- Surgery
- Transplant
Hepatitis
There are many types of hepatitis, a disease in which the liver becomes inflamed and often permanently damaged.
Viral hepatitis:
- Hepatitis A -- spread by contact with feces/fecal material
- Hepatitis B and C -- caused by direct contact with the blood or body fluids of an infected person (often from unprotected sex or needle sharing)
Other types of hepatitis:
- Autoimmune hepatitis -- no known cause
- Alcoholic hepatitis
- Drug-induced hepatitis -- caused by exposure to certain medications, vitamins, herbal remedies or food supplements
Symptoms:
If you have symptoms, they usually begin as flu-like:
- Loss of appetite
- Fever
- General aching
- Tiredness
Other early symptoms:
- Itching (with or without hives)
- Painful joints
- Loss of taste for cigarettes if you are a smoker
After several days, you may also have:
- Nausea and vomiting
- Foul breath and bitter taste in the mouth
- Dark, brown urine
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
- Pain just below the ribs on your right side
- Bowel movements that are whitish/light yellow (and may be looser than normal)
Should your symptoms match those associated with hepatitis, the Liver Clinic offers expert diagnostic and treament options, including:
Diagnostic:
- Assessing your symptoms
- Blood tests
- Considering your medical history
- Physical examination -- checking your abdomen to see if the liver is enlarged or tender
- Urine tests
Treatment:
- Avoidance of alcohol
- Healthful diet
- Medication management (viral hepatitis)
- Rest
Wilson's Disease
This hereditary disease allows too much copper to be retained in the organs (especially the liver) beginning right after birth. It can cause eye, kidney and bone problems, as well as neurological, behavioral or psychological problems. Sometimes the disease progresses without any obvious symptoms until cirrhosis develops. When diagnosed early, Wilson's disease can be successfully treated; however, untreated, it can be fatal.
Symptoms often don’t appear until later in life:
- Abdominal pain
- Jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes)
- Anemia
- Vomiting of blood
Should symptoms match those associated with Wilson's disease, the Liver Clinic offers expert diagnostic and treatment options for Wilson's disease including, but not limited to:
Diagnostic:
- Blood tests
- Eye exam (the disease sometimes causes a brownish color in the eyes)
- Liver biopsy
- Medical history
- Physical exam
- Symptoms
- Urine tests
Treatment:
- Medication management
- Transplant
