Alcohol-related Liver Disease and sepsis.

OBJECTIVE: Sepsis is one of the most common complications and causes of death in patients with Alcohol-related Liver Disease. This narrative review will focus on several aspects of sepsis in the context of Alcohol-related Liver Disease. The pathophysiology of the increased susceptibility to infections consists mainly of impaired innate and adaptive immunity, changes in gut microbiota with consequent gut translocation of bacteria due to both alcohol abuse and the underlying liver disease. The diagnosis of sepsis in the context of Alcohol-related Liver Disease is challenging. Moreover, the use of classical acute-phase serum proteins (e.g., C-reactive protein and procalcitonin) has several limitations in this setting. The early administration of an adequate antibiotic treatment is pivotal. Finally, measures of infection control and prevention are needed because the prognosis of sepsis in patients affected by Alcohol-related Liver Disease is poor.

Madelung's disease and acute alcoholic hepatitis: case report and review of literature.

Madelung's disease is a rare condition characterized by symmetric growth of fatty tumors (lipomas) around the neck, shoulders, upper arms, and trunk. It often affects men with a history of alcohol abuse. Here we report a review of the literature about this disease together with the description of a patient affected by Madelung's disease and acute alcoholic hepatitis.

Dental health in patients affected by alcohol use disorders: a cross-sectional study.

OBJECTIVE: Chronic alcohol abuse represents a risk factor for oral diseases, in particular, oral cancer. Periodontal disease has been showed to be involved in the pathophysiology of cardiovascular and metabolic diseases, such as atherosclerosis and liver steatosis. The role of chronic alcohol consumption on periodontitis is still controversial. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of chronic alcohol abuse on oral health. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Twenty-three alcohol use disorders (AUD) patients and twenty-three healthy social drinkers underwent an oral examination by trained oral clinicians in order to evaluate oral and dental health. A questionnaire assessing oral hygiene was administered together with the evaluation of DMFT (decayed, missing, filled teeth), SLI (Silness-Loë plaque index) and CPI (community periodontal index of treatment needs) scores. RESULTS: Alcoholic patients showed significantly lower oral hygiene scores compared to controls. Alcoholic patients showed significantly poorer scores at DMFT, SLI and CPI tests. Moreover, among alcoholics, smokers showed a significantly poorer oral health than non-smokers. CONCLUSIONS: Chronic alcohol abuse increases the risk of dental and periodontal diseases. Smoking represents a significant co-factor. The practice of basic oral hygiene and the access to professional dental care should be encouraged among AUD patients in order to reduce oral diseases.