title: [Acute alcoholic hepatitis].
abstract: Acute alcoholic hepatitis is an anatomical (fatty liver with sclerosing hyaline necrosis) and a clinical (hepatomegaly with a variety of symptoms of hepatic failure) entity arising out of chronic alcoholism, and of a typically 'pre-cirrhotic' state. Although fatal in 25% of acute cases due to failure of homeostasis, it often leaves a centrilobular scarring necrosis which in more than 60% of cases progresses to nodular cirrhosis. Continued alcoholism worsens the prognosis. Alcoholic hepatitis may be confused with acute abdominal catastrophes or with a hepatoma. The characteristic Mallory bodies found on liver biopsy are found rarely in non-alcoholic hepatitis. There is no effective treatment for this disease except reduction of alcohol intake; indeed, the disease may become self-perpetuating.
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000328:Adult; D006519:Hepatitis, Alcoholic / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans; D008875:Middle Aged
vernacular_title: L'hépatite alcoolique aiguë.