Journal of the Belgian Society of Radiology (Jan 2014)
Drink responsibly – rapid regression of fatty liver disease on enhanced CT after alcohol withdrawal
Abstract
A 50-year-old woman is admitted in Emergency Room for acute epigastric pain. She acknowledges the consumption of 6 to 7 beers per day last days before admission (8 to 10 alcohol units per day). Blood samples demonstrate inflammation (CRP: 5,2 mg/dL), hepatocytes cytolysis (AST 3 times higher than normal, ALT 2 times higher than normal and GGT 20 times higher than normal) and hyperlipasemia (15 times higher than normal). Diagnosis is obvious based on clinic and biology, which is confirmed the same day by an enhanced CT at portal venous phase demonstrating an acute pancreatitis graded D according to Balthazar scoring (Fig. A). After 9 days of hospitalization a follow up CT is performed in the exact same conditions (Fig. B).