liver and gallbladder disorders
Overview of Chronic Hepatitis
Diagnosis of Chronic Hepatitis
Blood tests Occasionally a biopsy Doctors may suspect chronic hepatitis when People have typical symptoms. Blood tests (done for other reasons) detect elevated liver enzymes. People have had acute hepatitis before. Also, everyone aged 18 or over, regardless of whether symptoms are present, should be tested at least once for hepatitis C. Such testing is recommended because hepatitis C is often unrecognized. Testing for chronic hepatitis usually begins with blood tests to measure the levels of liver enzymes and other substances produced by the liver ( Liver Blood Tests ). These tests may help establish or exclude the diagnosis of hepatitis, identify the cause, and determine the severity of liver damage. Blood tests are also done to help doctors identify whether a hepatitis virus is causing the infection. If no virus is identified, other blood tests are needed to check for other causes, such as autoimmune hepatitis. A Biopsy of the Liver is sometimes done to confirm the diagnosis. The liver biopsy also enables a doctor to do the following: Determine how severe the inflammation is Determine whether any scarring ( Fibrosis of the Liver ) or cirrhosis has developed Possibly help identify the cause of hepatitis However, liver biopsy is being done less frequently as new technologies continue to develop. For example, tests done to determine how badly the liver is damaged and to check for other liver problems may include Specialized imaging tests, such as Diagnosis None Blood tests to measure substances (called markers) that indicate whether and how much fibrosis is present Ultrasound elastography and magnetic resonance elastography use sound waves, applied to the abdomen, to determine how stiff the liver tissue is. 