title: Hepatic glycogenosis: An underdiagnosed complication of diabetes mellitus?
abstract: Hepatic glycogenosis (HG) is characterized by excessive glycogen accumulation in hepatocytes and represents a hepatic complication of diabetes that particularly occurs in patients with longstanding poorly controlled type 1 diabetes (T1D). HG has been reported to be a very rare disease, although it is believed to be extremely underdiagnosed because it is not possible to distinguish it from non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) unless a liver biopsy is performed. In contrast to HG, NAFLD is characterized by liver fat accumulation and is the more likely diagnosis for patients with type 2 diabetes and metabolic syndrome. The pathogenesis of HG involves the concomitant presence of insulin and excess glucose, which increases glycogen storage in the liver. HG is characterized by a transient elevation in liver transaminases and hepatomegaly. Differentiating between these two conditions is of the utmost importance because HG is a benign disease that is potentially reversible by improving glycemic control, whereas NAFLD can progress to cirrhosis. Therefore, HG should be suspected when liver dysfunction occurs in patients with poorly controlled T1D. The aim of this article is to review the epidemiology, clinical characteristics, pathogenesis and histology of HG.
authors: María Teresa Julián, Núria Alonso, Manel Puig-Domingo, Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: María Teresa
authors: MT
authors: Julián
authors: María Teresa Julián, Núria Alonso, Manel Puig-Domingo, Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Núria
authors: N
authors: Alonso
authors: María Teresa Julián, Núria Alonso, Manel Puig-Domingo, Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Isabel
authors: I
authors: Ojanguren
authors: María Teresa Julián, Núria Alonso, Manel Puig-Domingo, Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Eduarda
authors: E
authors: Pizarro
authors: María Teresa Julián, Núria Alonso, Manel Puig-Domingo, Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Enric
authors: E
authors: Ballestar
authors: María Teresa Julián, Núria Alonso, Manel Puig-Domingo, Department of Medicine, Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, 08035 Barcelona, Spain.
authors: Manel
authors: M
authors: Puig-Domingo
keywords: Diabetes mellitus; Hepatic complications; Hepatic glycogenosis; Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; Type 1 diabetes