Aetiological significance of alcohol in liver cirrhosis on the Jos Plateau.
Fifty-one patients with histologically diagnosed cirrhosis were studied prospectively over one year period. There were forty-one males and ten females. The majority of patients (75.59%) took alcohol in significant quantity and it was thought to be the most likely cause of the cirrhosis in them. Eighty percent of them had micronodular cirrhosis and 51.3% of them drank only "burukutu" a local alcoholic brew brewed mostly in iron pots and contains two other hepatotoxic agents--aflatoxin and iron. Eight (5.7%) of the patients and five (9.8%) of controls were positive for hepatitis B surface antigen (HBs.Ag). It is likely that alcohol is very important cause of cirrhosis of the liver seen in Jos.
Okeke
E N
EN
Department of Medicine, Jos University Teaching Hospital, Nigeria.
Malu
A O
AO
Obafunwa
J O
JO
Nwana
E J C
EJ
D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D006509:Hepatitis B / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000209:etiology; D008104:Liver Cirrhosis, Alcoholic / Q000209:etiology*; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009549:Nigeria; D011446:Prospective Studies