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World J Gastroenterol. Jul 7, 2014; 20(25): 8024-8032
Published online Jul 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i25.8024
Published online Jul 7, 2014. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v20.i25.8024
Diagnostic challenges in alcohol use disorder and alcoholic liver disease
Luisa Vonghia, Peter Michielsen, Geert Dom, Sven Francque, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Antwerp, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem, Belgium
Luisa Vonghia, Department of Basic Medical Sciences, Neuroscience and Sensory Organs, University of Bari, Policlinico, Piazza Giulio Cesare, 70100 Bari, Italy
Geert Dom, Collaborative Antwerp Psychiatric Research Institute (CAPRI), Antwerp University, Universiteitsplein 1, 2610 Antwerp, Belgium
Author contributions: Vonghia L, Michielsen P, Dom G and Francque S contributed equally to this work.
Correspondence to: Luisa Vonghia, MD, PhD, Department of Gastroenterology and Hepatology, University Hospital Antwerp, Wilrijkstraat 10, 2650 Edegem, Belgium. lvonghia@gmail.com
Telephone: +32-38213323 Fax: +32-38214478
Received: October 29, 2013
Revised: January 7, 2014
Accepted: February 16, 2014
Published online: July 7, 2014
Revised: January 7, 2014
Accepted: February 16, 2014
Published online: July 7, 2014
Core Tip
Core tip: Alcohol use disorders have been defined by the Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of Mental Disorders-5. Excessive alcohol intake can lead to damage of various organs, including the liver, and can induce complex psychiatric and somatic comorbidities. Alcoholic liver disease includes different injuries ranging from steatosis to cirrhosis and implicates a diagnostic assessment of the liver disease and of its possible complications. The assessment of previous alcohol consumption and the non-invasive evaluation of liver fibrosis are areas of growing interest in this field.