Which pathophysiology leads to gynecomastia in a patient with cirrhosis of the liver?

Summary
Which pathophysiology leads to gynecomastia in a patient with cirrhosis of the liver?

Cirrhosis is a condition caused by chronic damage to the liver, most commonly due to excessive alcohol consumption, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, or hepatitis C. Other causes include inflammatory or metabolic diseases, such as primary biliary cirrhosis and hemochromatosis. Cirrhosis is characterized by hepatic parenchymal necrosis and an inflammatory response to the underlying cause. Subsequent hepatic repair mechanisms lead to fibrosis and abnormal tissue architecture, which impair liver function. Patients can present with a range of symptoms, including ascites; hepatosplenomegaly; and skin manifestations of cirrhosis, such as jaundice, spider angioma, and/or palmar erythema. Men may also display signs of feminization (e.g., gynecomastia, hypogonadism). In severe cases, the accumulation of toxic metabolites or involvement of additional organs can lead to complications such as hepatic encephalopathy and hepatorenal syndrome (HRS). Laboratory studies show signs of hepatocyte damage (e.g., elevated liver enzymes, hyperbilirubinemia) and/or impaired hepatic synthetic function (e.g., prolonged prothrombin time, low albumin). Abdominal ultrasound typically shows shrunken, heterogeneous liver parenchyma with a nodular surface. A biopsy is the method of choice for confirming the diagnosis; however, it is usually only performed if the results from other diagnostic modalities are inconclusive. Management consists of treatment of the underlying disease (e.g., avoidance of toxic substances, antiviral drugs), adequate calorie intake, and medication for treating complications (e.g., spironolactone for ascites). In cases of decompensated cirrhosis, interventional procedures may be used to alleviate symptoms (e.g., paracentesis to drain ascites) or as a bridge until liver transplantation is possible.

Epidemiology

Epidemiological data refers to the US, unless otherwise specified.

Etiology

  • Hepatotoxicity
    • Long-standingalcohol use disorder (one of the two most common causes of chronic liver disease in the US)
    • Medications; (e.g., acetaminophen, amiodarone, chemotherapy drugs such as methotrexate)
    • Ingestion of aflatoxin (produced by Aspergillus) [3]
    • Industrial chemicals such as tetrachloromethane and various pesticides
  • Inflammation (hepatitis)
    • Chronic viral hepatitis: hepatitis B,hepatitis D, and hepatitis C (most common cause of cirrhosis in the United States)
    • Primary biliary cholangitis
    • Primary sclerosing cholangitis
    • Autoimmune hepatitis
    • Parasitic infections (e.g., schistosomiasis, leishmaniasis, malaria)
    • IgG4 cholangiopathy
  • Metabolic disorders
    • Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH)
    • Hemochromatosis
    • Wilson disease
    • α1-antitrypsin deficiency
    • Porphyrias
    • Glycogen storage disease
    • Cystic fibrosis
    • Hereditary fructose intolerance
  • Hepatic vein congestion or vascular anomalies
    • Budd-Chiari syndrome
    • Cardiac cirrhosis (congestive hepatopathy)
    • Osler-Weber-Rendu syndrome [4]
  • Cryptogenic cirrhosis: cirrhosis of uncertain etiology despite adequate diagnostical efforts

Cryptogenic cirrhosis is a diagnosis of exclusion and should only be considered after a complete patient evaluation has ruled out all other possible causes of cirrhosis.

Hepatitis C, alcoholic liver disease, and NASH are the most common causes of cirrhosis in the US.

Pathophysiology

  • Cirrhosis is characterized by irreversible diffuse fibrosis of the liver (the final common pathway for chronic liver diseases).
  • Pathogenesis is multifactorial.
  • The following three mechanisms have been described for all types of liver cirrhosis: [5]
    1. Degeneration and necrosis of hepatocytes
    2. Fibrotic tissue and regenerative nodules replace the liver parenchyma
    3. Loss of liver function: sinusoidal capillarization → loss of fenestration and scar tissue formation→ impaired substrate exchange loss of normal liver function (exocrine and metabolic)

Clinical features

Clinical manifestations of liver cirrhosis generally correlate with the severity of liver disease. [6]

  • Nonspecific features
    • Patients are often initially asymptomatic.
    • Fatigue, malaise, anorexia, and weight loss
  • Dermal features
    • Pruritus
    • Jaundice
    • Telangiectasia: most commonly spider angiomata
    • Caput medusae: paraumbilical dilation of subcutaneous veins
    • Palmar erythema (plantarerythema also possible) [7]
    • Petechiae and purpura
    • Generally dry and atrophic
    • White nails with ground-glass opacity (also known as “Terry nails”)
    • Nail clubbing
    • Lacquered lips, smooth red tongue
  • Abdominal features
    • Nausea, vomiting
    • Hepatomegaly; (possibly causing dull RUQ pain)
    • Splenomegaly
    • Ascites (abdominal fluid buildup due to hypoalbuminemia)
  • Hormonal disorders
    • Hyperestrogenism [8]
      • Changes in the hepatic metabolization of sex hormones cause an imbalance in the estrogen-androgenratio, resulting in a marked increase in systemic estrogen levels.
      • In men, increased estrogen levels cause feminization.
        • Gynecomastia
        • Hypogonadism; (e.g., testicular atrophy, reduced libido, erectile dysfunction, infertility)
        • Decreased body hair (e.g., loss of chest hair, a female pattern of pubic hair distribution)
      • In women, a massive increase in estrogen can cause amenorrhea.
  • Other
    • Asterixis
    • Fetor hepaticus: bad breath with a characteristic sweet, pungent smell caused by an accumulation of dimethyl sulfide
    • Dupuytren contracture
    • Peripheral edema
    • See also “Clinical features” in “Portal hypertension.”
  • Specific clinical features due to rare etiologies
    • Hemochromatosis: dark, bronze skin color, and diabetes (bronze diabetes)
    • Wilson disease
      • Neurological/psychiatric symptoms (parkinsonism and personality changes)
      • Indirect hyperbilirubinemia due to hemolysis.
    • Alpha‑1 antitrypsin deficiency: lung emphysema before 50 years of age [9]

Diagnostics

Patients with cirrhosis are usually either asymptomatic with incidental abnormal findings on laboratory studies or imaging, or present late with features of decompensated cirrhosis.

Laboratory studies

Routine laboratory studies [10][12][13]

  • Liver chemistries
    • Transaminases: ↑ ALT and AST
      • ALT > AST: present in most liver diseases (e.g., NAFLD, viral hepatitis)
      • AST > ALT: indicative of alcoholic liver disease and/or cirrhosis of any etiology
      • Massive AST and/or ALT elevation (> 15 times ULN): Consider differential diagnoses (e.g., acetaminophen toxicity, acute viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis).
    • ↑ Bilirubin (may be normal initially)
    • ↑ ALP
    • ↑ Gamma‑glutamyl transferase (GGT)
  • Coagulation studies: ↑ prothrombin time (↑ INR) because of decreased production of coagulation factors
  • CBC
    • Thrombocytopenia: due to decreased thrombopoietin production by the liver and/or splenomegaly [12]
    • Anemia; : multiple potential causes, e.g., chronic blood loss, splenic sequestration, vitamin B12 or folic acid deficiency
    • Leukopenia
  • CMP
    • ↓ Albumin
    • ↓ Total protein
    • Hyponatremia

Liver chemistries may be normal in early compensated cirrhosis. [10]

Some CBC abnormalities are due to the combination of increased hepatic and splenic sequestration of thrombocytes (portal hypertension leads to splenomegaly with hypersplenism) and decreased production of hematopoietic factors by the liver.

Hepatocyte injury: ↑ AST, ALT, ALP, GGT. Synthetic dysfunction: ↑ bilirubin and PT/INR; ↓ albumin and platelets

Additional laboratory studies [10][13][14][15]

These studies may help to identify the underlying etiology and further evaluate liver function. Modification may be required based on clinical features and the presence of risk factors.

  • Viral hepatitis: especially in patients with risk factors
  • NASH: fasting lipid levels and HbA1c
  • Hemochromatosis; : serum iron, ferritin, transferrin saturation
  • Alcoholic liver disease: assess for alcohol use disorder; consider measuring alcohol biomarkers.
  • Autoimmune hepatitis: total IgG or serum electrophoresis (showing hypergammaglobulinemia), ANA, ASMA, anti-LKM-1 antibody, anti-soluble liver antigen antibody
  • Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency: alpha-1 antitrypsin level and phenotype
  • Wilson disease: serum ceruloplasmin, serum total and free copper, urinary copper
  • Primary biliary cholangitis: antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA or AMA-M2), ALP, bilirubin
  • Primary sclerosing cholangitis: cholestasis parameters (GGT, ALP, and bilirubin), pANCA, IgG
  • Other tests [16][17]
    • Ammonia (not routinely indicated) [17]
    • Plasma cholinesterase
    • Serum protein electrophoresis: ↓ albumin band, ↑ gamma band, and unchanged alpha‑1, alpha‑2, and beta globulin fractions [16]

Abdominal ultrasound with Doppler [10][18]

CT abdomen [18][21]

  • Indication: patients in whom adequate assessment with ultrasound is not possible (e.g., because of obesity)
  • Findings: similar to those on ultrasound
    • Relative hypertrophy of the left lobe and caudate lobe
    • Regenerative nodules
    • Irregular liver surface
    • Indirect findings: ascites, splenomegaly, portosystemic collaterals

Noninvasive liver fibrosis scoring systems [10][23]

These biomarker-based tools can be used as an adjunct to confirm and stage cirrhosis of certain etiologies.

Liver elastography [10][25][26]

Staging

Model for end-stage liver disease score (MELD score) [28]

  • Used to predict the three-month mortality rate of patients with cirrhosis
  • Primarily used to prioritize patients for liver transplantation [28]
  • Patients are given a score from 6 to 40based on serum bilirubin, INR, and creatinine levels.
  • Patients with high scores have the worst prognosis without intervention and should therefore be prioritized for transplantation (if appropriate)

Child-Pugh score [22]

  • A prognostic grading scale that assesses survival rate and predicts the likelihood of developing complications based on bilirubin and albumin levels, prothrombin time, and the presence of ascites and encephalopathy
  • Can be used as a prognostic scoring system [29]
    • Child‑Pugh class A: one-year survival rate of ∼ 100%
    • Child‑Pugh class B: one-year survival rate of ∼ 80%
    • Child‑Pugh class C: one-year survival rate of ∼ 45%

CHILD's ABCDEs: Albumin, Bilirubin, Coagulation (i.e., ↑ INR), Distended abdomen (i.e., ascites), and Encephalopathy

Treatment

Patients with cirrhosis are typically managed in consultation with specialists.

Pathology

  • Fibrosis (fibrous septa)
  • Replacement of normal liver tissue with collagenous regenerative nodules (histological staging is based on the size of the regenerative nodules) [6]
  • Abnormal cell activation with infiltration of inflammatory cells
  • Loss of physiological vessel architecture (central vein disappearance)
  • See “Alcoholic liver disease,” “Hepatitis B,” and “Hepatitis C for specific pathological findings related to these conditions.

Complications

Overview [34]

Cirrhosis-associated ascites and edema and elevated bleeding risk increase the risk for hypovolemic shock.

Vitamin K infusion may improve clotting function in select patients with vitamin K deficiency; it is unlikely to be effective in patients with advanced liver disease and coagulopathy.

We list the most important complications. The selection is not exhaustive.

Decompensated cirrhosis

  • Definition: the development of ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, or GI bleeding in patients with cirrhosis [34]
  • Onset: can be triggered by an acute event (e.g., bleeding, sepsis) or develop gradually (e.g., ascites, encephalopathy) [37][38]
  • Common precipitating factors[38]
    • Infection (e.g., spontaneous bacterial peritonitis) or sepsis
    • Alcohol consumption
    • Medications (e.g., NSAIDs)
    • GI bleeding
    • Dehydration
    • Constipation
    • Acute PVT
    • HCC
  • Diagnostics: to establish the cause of decompensation
    • CBC, BMP, liver chemistries
    • Magnesium and phosphate levels
    • Coagulation panel
    • Consider type and screen.
    • Paracentesis in patients with ascites
    • CRP, blood cultures, urinalysis and culture, chest x-ray
    • Abdominal ultrasound to assess for PVT
  • Acute management: See “Management of acute liver failure.” [31][38][39]
    • Gastroenterology consult
    • Treat the underlying cause and complications (if applicable).
  • Prognosis: In patients with decompensated cirrhosis, survival rates are usually poor unless liver transplantation is performed.

Pulmonary complications of cirrhosis

Special patient groups

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What is the pathophysiology of gynecomastia?

Gynecomastia, defined as benign proliferation of male breast glandular tissue, is usually caused by increased estrogen activity, decreased testosterone activity, or the use of numerous medications.

What causes unilateral gynecomastia?

Unilateral gynecomastia can be caused by an acute infection process of the chest. This typically results in enlargement of the chest, pain, swelling and redness with fever and chills.

What causes breast swelling and pain in men?

In men, breast pain is most commonly caused by a condition called "gynecomastia" (guy-nuh-koh-MAS-tee-uh). This refers to an increase in the amount of breast gland tissue that's caused by an imbalance of the hormones estrogen and testosterone. Gynecomastia can affect one or both breasts, sometimes unevenly.

Does gynecomastia cause swollen lymph nodes?

Both sides are typically affected, although it can develop on only one side. The enlargement may be greater on one side even if both sides are involved. Gynecomastia is not accompanied by severe pain, although the enlarged area may be sensitive or tender. enlargement of the underarm (axillary) lymph nodes.