Symptoms of autoimmune hepatitis

Autoimmune hepatitis often occurs in women, especially between the ages of ten and thirty, which is the peak period of the disease. Therefore, we need to pay attention to active prevention and be vigilant when symptoms such as fatigue, upper abdominal discomfort, itching, and loss of appetite occur.

Fatigue, upper abdominal discomfort

AIH lacks characteristic symptoms and signs. Although the pathological changes have certain characteristics, they are also non-specific. Some patients present with acute hepatitis, and occasionally with fulminant hepatitis. This disease is more common in women, with two peak incidence periods at 10 to 30 years old and 40 years old. Symptoms vary in severity, and mild cases may be asymptomatic. The common symptoms include fatigue, upper abdominal discomfort, itching, loss of appetite, etc. Early hepatomegaly is usually accompanied by splenomegaly, jaundice, spider nevi, etc. In the late stage, it develops into cirrhosis, which may be accompanied by ascites and hepatic encephalopathy.

Persistent fever with

Extrahepatic manifestations may include persistent fever with acute, recurrent, and migratory arthritis; female patients usually have amenorrhea; they may have bleeding gums and nosebleeds; moon-like facies, acne, excessive body hair, and purple skin striae; they may also have symptoms such as thyroiditis and glomerulonephritis. When combined with extrahepatic manifestations, it usually indicates that the disease is in the active stage.

Signs :

Hepatomegaly is a common physical sign, which is mostly mild to moderate hepatomegaly, with a smooth surface, normal or slightly hard texture and no obvious tenderness.

Splenomegaly is rare and is more common in severe cases or in patients with cirrhosis.

Anthropometric markers, height, weight, waist circumference, and body mass index (BMI) are calculated. It is recommended to refer to the overweight and obesity standards for adults in the Asia-Pacific region.