Value of liver biopsy in anorexia nervosa-related transaminitis: A case study and literature review.
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| Abstract | 
   :  
              Anorexia nervosa (AN) is a complex eating disorder that affects multiple organs. 60% of patients have liver injury with transaminitis. The mechanism of liver injury in AN remains unclear. We present a case of a 19-year-old female with AN was admitted to our hospital with marked transaminitis but near normal liver histology on biopsy. Her transaminitis eventually improved as she regained weight. We also conducted a literature review of similar cases to delineate the clinicopathologic spectrum of liver injury in AN patients. English published cases of adult AN patients with elevated transaminases who underwent a liver biopsy or autopsy were selected. 32 cases (including ours). All except four patients were female, with median age of 26.5 years and median body mass index 11.9 kg/m . Presentations mainly included hypoglycemic coma and weight loss. 63% of patients had severe transaminitis (AST >15x ULN). Other lab findings included elevated international normalized ratio (72%) and hypoalbuminemia (47%). Microscopically, all cases showed intact hepatic architecture. Fibrosis was reported in 12 cases and necroinflamfmation in 8, but only half of each had severe transaminitis. AN patients display a wide spectrum of liver histopathology which often does not correlate with the degree of transaminitis. In severe persistent AN-related transaminitis, liver biopsy is useful to assess the degree of liver injury and to exclude other potential etiologies.  | 
        
| Year of Publication | 
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              2022 
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| Journal | 
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              Hepatology research : the official journal of the Japan Society of Hepatology 
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| Volume | 
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              52 
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| Issue | 
   :  
              7 
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| Number of Pages | 
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              652-658 
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| ISSN Number | 
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              1386-6346 
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| URL | 
   :  
              https://doi.org/10.1111/hepr.13792 
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| DOI | 
   :  
              10.1111/hepr.13792 
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| Short Title | 
   :  
              Hepatol Res 
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