Signs and Related Mechanisms of Ethanol Hepatotoxicity

Title:Signs and Related Mechanisms of Ethanol Hepatotoxicity

Volume: 8 Issue: 2

Author(s): Ricardo Jorge Dinis-Oliveira, Teresa Magalhaes, Odilia Queiros, Jorge Brandao Proenca, Roxana Moreira, Maria de Lourdes Bastos and Felix Carvalho

Affiliation:

Keywords: Alcohol, ascites, caput medusae, cirrhosis, dilated congestive cardiomyopathy, ecchymoses, esophageal varices, ethanol, gynecomastia, hemochromatosis, hemorrhoids, hepatotoxicity, jaundice, nutritional deficiency, petechiae, splenomegaly, steatosis, testicular atrophy, xanthelasma.

Abstract: Ethanol is the most abused psychoactive substance. Accordingly to World Health Organization ethanol ranks among the top five risk factors for disease, disability and death (3.3 million/year) throughout the world. This manuscript highlights and critically analyses clinical and forensic signs related to hepatoxicity of ethanol that may lead to suspected of abuse. Namely, steatosis, jaundice, cirrhosis, hemorrhoids, esophageal varices caput medusae, ascites, petechiae, ecchymoses, splenomegaly, hemochromatosis, xanthelasma, nutritional deficiency, testicular atrophy, gynecomastia and dilated congestive cardiomyopathy are discussed and related to the toxic mechanism of ethanol.

Cite this article as:

Dinis-Oliveira Jorge Ricardo, Magalhaes Teresa, Queiros Odilia, Proenca Brandao Jorge, Moreira Roxana, de Lourdes Bastos Maria and Carvalho Felix, Signs and Related Mechanisms of Ethanol Hepatotoxicity, Current Drug Abuse Reviews 2015; 8 (2) . https://dx.doi.org/10.2174/1874473708666150916113352