RT Book, Section A1 Ghany, Marc G. A1 Hoofnagle, Jay H. A2 Jameson, J. Larry A2 Fauci, Anthony S. A2 Kasper, Dennis L. A2 Hauser, Stephen L. A2 Longo, Dan L. A2 Loscalzo, Joseph SR Print(0) ID 1156507360 T1 Approach to the Patient with Liver Disease T2 Harrison's Principles of Internal Medicine, 20e YR 2018 FD 2018 PB McGraw-Hill Education PP New York, NY SN 9781259644016 LK accesspharmacy.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1156507360 RD 2024/11/09 AB A diagnosis of liver disease usually can be made accurately by careful elicitation of the patient’s history, physical examination, and application of a few laboratory tests. In some circumstances, radiologic examinations are helpful or, indeed, diagnostic. Liver biopsy is considered the criterion standard in evaluation of liver disease, but is now needed less for diagnosis than for grading (activity) and staging (fibrosis) of disease. Non-invasive means of assessing fibrosis stage have become increasingly helpful and may allow for avoidance of biopsy in a proportion of patients. This chapter provides an introduction to diagnosis and management of liver disease, briefly reviewing the structure and function of the liver; the major clinical manifestations of liver disease; and the use of clinical history, physical examination, laboratory tests, imaging studies, and liver biopsy.