title: Signs and Related Mechanisms of Ethanol Hepatotoxicity.
abstract: Ethanol is the most abused psychoactive substance. Accordingly to World Health Organization ethanol ranks among the top five risk factors for disease, disability and death (3.3 million/year) throughout the world. This manuscript highlights and critically analyses clinical and forensic signs related to hepatoxicity of ethanol that may lead to suspected of abuse. Namely, steatosis, jaundice, cirrhosis, hemorrhoids, esophageal varices caput medusae, ascites, petechiae, ecchymoses, splenomegaly, hemochromatosis, xanthelasma, nutritional deficiency, testicular atrophy, gynecomastia and dilated congestive cardiomyopathy are discussed and related to the toxic mechanism of ethanol.
authors.affiliation: Department of Legal Medicine and Forensic Sciences, Faculty of Medicine, University of Porto, Alameda Prof. Hernani Monteiro, 4200-319 Porto, Portugal. ricardinis@sapo.pt.
authors.forename: Ricardo Jorge
authors.initials: RJ
authors.lastname: Dinis-Oliveira
authors.forename: Teresa
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Mãgalhaes
authors.forename: Odília
authors.initials: O
authors.lastname: Queirós
authors.forename: Jorge Brandão
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Proença
authors.forename: Roxana
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Moreira
authors.forename: Maria
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: de Lourdes Bastos
authors.forename: Félix
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Carvalho
mesh_terms: D000437:Alcoholism / Q000150:complications* / Q000453:epidemiology; D000431:Ethanol / Q000008:administration & dosage / Q000009:adverse effects*; D014943:Global Health; D006801:Humans; D008108:Liver Diseases, Alcoholic / Q000503:physiopathology*
chemical_list: D000431:Ethanol