Hepatic disorder consists of acute and chronic hepatitis. Most patients with acute hepatitis are cured without transitioning to chronic hepatitis. Chronic hepatitis progresses to liver cirrhosis and can even lead to hepatocellular carcinoma, irrespective of the etiology. Liver cirrhosis is classified into compensated and decompensated cirrhosis. Patients develop no symptoms until they progress to decompensated cirrhosis, a reason why the liver is called the silent organ. Jaundice, ascites, portal hypertension, and encephalopathy are symptoms of liver failure. It is important to start treatment before progression to cirrhosis. One such chronic liver disease that can lead to cirrhosis is hepatitis B. Carriers of hepatitis B are diagnosed by a positive result on the HBs antigen assay. If nucleic acid analog treatment is started at an appropriate time, chronic hepatitis B does not progress. One characteristic of hepatitis B virus infection that clinicians must keep in mind is that immune-suppression treatment or chemotherapy causes the virus to repopulate, thereby resulting in severe hepatitis. Hepatitis C virus infection was once the main cause of post-transfusion hepatitis. After the discovery of hepatitis C virus, 99.9% of new infections after blood transfusion were eliminated. Now, over 95% of patients can be cured by oral drug treatment. Fatty liver disease consists of alcoholic and nonalcoholic fatty liver disease that results from obesity and metabolic syndrome. In Japan, obesity and metabolic syndrome have become major health problems, leading to dramatic increases in the prevalence of fatty liver disease. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has become the most rapidly increasing cause of cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma. As a result, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease has become a major public healthcare concern at the national level.
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