Stigmata of chronic liver disease are a group of symptoms found in liver disease, which indicate a superimposed hepatic process. The typical patient is:
- Icteric (jaundiced)
- Pigmented
- Cyanosed (due to pulmonary venous shunting in the hepatopulmonary syndrome)
He has:
- Clubbing
- Leuconychia
- Palmar erythema
- Dupuytren's contracture
- Positive liver flap (also called asterixis, suggests hepatic encephalopathy)
- Spider naevi
- Scratch marks
- Pupura
- Gynaecomastia
- Scanty body hair
- Testicular atrophy
- Hepatomegaly
- Splenomegaly
- Ascites
- Distended abdominal veins in which flow is away from the umbilicus (caput medusae)
- Ankle oedema
References
- [Book: An aid to the MRCP short cases, Ryder et al.]
