Hepatology

Hepatology (“hepar” = liver) deals with diseases of the liver and bile ducts.

Any unclear increase of the liver values should be further checked by a specialist for gastroenterology or hepatology, in order to detect a chronic disease at an early stage and treat the disease. This is the only way to prevent further severe damage to the liver.

Causes of increased liver values are:
• Infections (viral hepatitis)
• Metabolic diseases (overweight, metabolic syndrome, ...)
• Immunological disease (autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, ...)
• Storage disease (Wilson’s disease, haemochromatosis, ...)
• Medication, gall stones, tumours

Diagnosis is made by means of a detailed anamnesis, targeted laboratory tests and ultrasound of the upper abdomen.