title: Type and cause of liver disease in Korea: single-center experience, 2005-2010.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  The aim of this study was to describe the types and causes of liver disease in patients from a single community hospital in Korea between April 2005 and May 2010.
  
  
  METHODS
  A cohort of patients who visited the liver clinic of the hospital during the aforementioned time period were consecutively enrolled (n=6,307). Consistent diagnostic criteria for each liver disease were set by a single, experienced hepatologist, and the diagnosis of all of the enrolled patients was confirmed by retrospective review of their medical records.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the 6,307 patients, 528 (8.4%) were classified as acute hepatitis, 3,957 (62.7%) as chronic hepatitis, 767 (12.2%) as liver cirrhosis, 509 (8.1%) as primary liver cancer, and 546 (8.7%) as a benign liver mass or other diseases. The etiologies in the acute hepatitis group in decreasing order of prevalence were hepatitis A (44.3%), toxic hepatitis (32.4%), other hepatitis viruses (13.8%), and cryptogenic hepatitis (9.1%). In the chronic hepatitis group, 51.2% of cases were attributed to viral hepatitis, 33.3% to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and 13.0% to alcoholic liver disease (ALD). Of the cirrhoses, 73.4% were attributable to viral causes and 18.1% to alcohol. Of the hepatocellular carcinoma cases, 86.6% were attributed to viral hepatitis and 11.6% to ALD. Among the benign tumors, hemangioma comprised 52.2% and cystic liver disease comprised 33.7%.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge of the current status of the type and cause of liver disease in Korea may be valuable as a basis for evaluating changing trends in liver disease in that country.
authors.affiliation: Department of Internal Medicine, Seoul National University Bundang Hospital, Seoul National University College of Medicine, Seongnam, Korea.
authors.forename: Sang Soo
authors.initials: SS
authors.lastname: Lee
authors.forename: Young-Sang
authors.initials: YS
authors.lastname: Byoun
authors.forename: Sook-Hyang
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Jeong
authors.forename: Yeo Myung
authors.initials: YM
authors.lastname: Kim
authors.forename: Ho
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Gil
authors.forename: Bo-Young
authors.initials: BY
authors.lastname: Min
authors.forename: Mun Hyuk
authors.initials: MH
authors.lastname: Seong
authors.forename: Eun Sun
authors.initials: ES
authors.lastname: Jang
authors.forename: Jin-Wook
authors.initials: JW
authors.lastname: Kim
mesh_terms: D000208:Acute Disease; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000428:Alcohol Drinking / Q000009:adverse effects; D006528:Carcinoma, Hepatocellular / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D002908:Chronic Disease; D015331:Cohort Studies; D005234:Fatty Liver / Q000453:epidemiology; D005260:Female; D006505:Hepatitis / Q000453:epidemiology; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D006801:Humans; D008103:Liver Cirrhosis / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000150:complications / Q000453:epidemiology; D008113:Liver Neoplasms / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D065626:Non-alcoholic Fatty Liver Disease; D015995:Prevalence; D056910:Republic of Korea / Q000453:epidemiology; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D055815:Young Adult
keywords: Diagnosis; Etiology, Korea; Liver disease