Category: Liver and Biliary

𝐀𝐦𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐢𝐝𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬 is caused by a group of diseases that result in high levels of 𝐚𝐦𝐲𝐥𝐨𝐢𝐝 being deposited in the tissues. Amyloid is a protein material that has a characteristic folding pattern, but has many forms produced in many different situations.

𝐆𝐢𝐚𝐧𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 𝐟𝐥𝐮𝐤𝐞𝐬 are a 𝐭𝐫𝐞𝐦𝐚𝐭𝐨𝐝𝐞 (fluke) found in 𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐯𝐢𝐝𝐬 (deer, moose, elk) in North America. These parasites are typically found in the liver of affected animals, hence the name.

𝐇𝐞𝐩𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐜 𝐜𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬 is an infection of the liver with 𝐜𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐢𝐝𝐢𝐚, which are small single celled protozoans. Typically, these protozoa cause intestinal disease, making hepatic coccidiosis a somewhat unique presentation for this parasite’s life cycle.

𝐁𝐥𝐚𝐜𝐤𝐡𝐞𝐚𝐝 is a parasitic disease caused by a 𝐩𝐫𝐨𝐭𝐨𝐳𝐨𝐚𝐧, which are small single celled organisms. Interestingly, this protozoan is transmitted alongside another parasite, the roundworm 𝐇𝐞𝐭𝐞𝐫𝐚𝐤𝐢𝐬 𝐠𝐚𝐥𝐥𝐢𝐧𝐚𝐫𝐮𝐦. So these poor animals end up with two parasitic infections for the price of one!

𝐌𝐢𝐥𝐤 𝐬𝐩𝐨𝐭 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 is a parasitic infection caused by the parasite 𝐀𝐬𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐢𝐬 𝐬𝐮𝐮𝐦. It’s called milk spot liver because the liver gains numerous white spots over its surface due to scarring.

𝐂𝐢𝐫𝐫𝐡𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬 is the specific term for excessive fibrosis (scar tissue) in the liver, with production of lots of nodules of regenerated liver tissue.

𝐍𝐮𝐭𝐦𝐞𝐠 𝐥𝐢𝐯𝐞𝐫 refers to a specific pattern we can see in the liver at necropsy, where the liver takes on the appearance of a nutmeg’s cut surface. This is a very characteristic sign of 𝐜𝐡𝐫𝐨𝐧𝐢𝐜 𝐩𝐚𝐬𝐬𝐢𝐯𝐞 𝐜𝐨𝐧𝐠𝐞𝐬𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧, however does not tell you much about the actual cause of the congestion.

𝐄𝐜𝐡𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐜𝐨𝐜𝐜𝐨𝐬𝐢𝐬 is infection with either Echinococcus multilocularis or Echinococcus granulosus. These are species of 𝐭𝐚𝐩𝐞𝐰𝐨𝐫𝐦𝐬, little internal parasites that can have some serious consequences. Here in North America, E. multilocularis is the most important, and the one that we’ll be talking about today.

𝐂𝐡𝐨𝐥𝐚𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐨𝐜𝐚𝐫𝐜𝐢𝐧𝐨𝐦𝐚𝐬 are malignant tumours of the 𝐛𝐢𝐥𝐢𝐚𝐫𝐲 𝐞𝐩𝐢𝐭𝐡𝐞𝐥𝐢𝐮𝐦 (the cells that line the bile ducts in the liver).

Hepatic lipidosis is basically when there is accumulation of 𝐭𝐫𝐢𝐠𝐥𝐲𝐜𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐝𝐞𝐬 (the smallest component of fat) within the liver cells.