Protocolo diagnóstico de la hepatopatía crónica

Abstract

Chronic liver disease is usually paucisymptomatic until the complications of liver failure and/or portal hypertension appear. In most cases, the diagnostic suspicion usually begins with abnormalities on the liver profile and/or a finding on imaging tests. The etiological diagnosis is broad, with the most frequent causes being metabolic dysfunction-associated liver disease, viral liver disease, and alcohol-related liver disease. A medical history and physical examination are the basis for guiding the diagnostic process, which must be supported by additional analytical and radiological tests. This etiologic evaluation must always be performed alongside an assessment of liver disease severity through an estimation of the degree of fibrosis and the presence of clinically significant portal hypertension. Currently, both of these are preferably estimated in a non-invasive manner. This protocol aims to summarize the fundamental keys to the diagnostic process in the case of suspected chronic liver disease.