Book chapters

Chronic right-sided heart failure has deleterious effects on many organ systems, and the liver is no exception. Passive hepatic congestion not only can precipitate impaired hepatic synthetic function and hepatic fibrosis, but it can also predispose the liver to more severe acute injury in the setting of circulatory compromise, an entity known as hypoxic hepatitis.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) accounts for between 85% and 90% of primary liver cancers. It has several interesting epidemiological characteristics. Differences in distribution have been noted between geographic regions and ethnic groups but also according to sex and the presence of several risk factors linked to the environment. A variety of risk factors for HCC have been reported, including hepatitis B and C viruses, aflatoxin B1, alcohol consumption, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, and hemochromatosis. Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is a ubiquitous virus with worldwide distribution.