الفهرس 
Hepatic Manifestations in Rheumatic DiseasesOnly 14 pages are availabe for public view
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Abstract
The liver is the largest gland in the body, with many complex Functions. It Performs numerous and vital roles in maintaining homeostasis and health. These functions include the synthesis of most essential serum proteins, the production of bile and its carriers, the regulation of nutrients and metabolism. Its function also includes conjugation of lipophilic compounds for excretion in the bile or urine.The hepatic manifestations of the rheumatic diseases are not well described. The frequency, significance and the specific hepatic pathology varies with each rheumatic illness.
This essay describes Liver affection in rheumatological practice under the following categories:-
1- Hepatic diseases with recognized rheumatological involvement.
2- Rheumatological diseases with recognized hepatic involvement.
3- Hepatotoxic effects of drugs used in the treatment of rheumatic disorders.
It was found that there is a strong correlation between liver and different rheumatic disorders such as Rheumatoid arthritis, Systemic lupus erythematosus, Primary sjogren, polymyositis, systemic sclerosis and vasculitis. The rheumatic diseases can affect the liver either by direct effect of the disease itself or as effect of the drugs used in the treatment. As effect of the disease, they can lead to hepatosplenomegaly, portal hypertension, nodular regenerative hyperplasia, portal tract fibrosis, chronic active hepatitis, steatosis, primary biliary cirrhosis, amyloidosis and liver Cirrhosis.
Many rheumatic symptoms may be due to extrahepatic effect of the liver diseases and may result in its misdiagnosis. For example arthritis occurring as the most common extra hepatic manifestation of HCV infection it is symmetric polyarthritis with no deformity that can be misdiagnosed as rheumatoid arthritis.
This essay also describes the guidelines for monitoring of the common drugs used in the treatment of different rheumatic diseases and adjustment of their doses in different cases of liver impairments (either already present or expected events) in order to decrease their toxic effect on the liver.