Spectrum of Mucocutaneous Manifestations among Patients with Various Liver Disorders

Abstract

Introduction:Skin is the first barrier against any external agent and a reflection of any deviation in the internal milieu. Any systemic disorder or organ dysfunction can leave its imprints on the skin and so also the liver certainly has cutaneous manifestations in case of any disorder affecting it. Study objective was to investigate the spectrum of cutaneous manifestations of various liver disorders and liver disease specific association. Material and methods:A total of 220 patients with primary liver disorders were taken up for the study after proper ethical clearance. A detailed clinical history was taken from the patients regarding liver disorder and cutaneous symptoms. A thorough clinical examination was done and all specific and nonspecific cutaneous manifestations were recorded. Results:Out of 220 patients, 135(61.3%) were males and 85(38.6%) were females with a male preponderance. Among the various liver disorders, most commonly seen was alcoholic liver disease seen in 84(38%) patients, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis(NASH) in 51(23.2%) patients, cirrhosis in 35(16%) patients. The most common cutaneous manifestation seen was icterus in 190(86.3%) patients, pruritus in 178(80.9%) patients, xerosis in 112(51%) patients. Conclusion:The knowledge of the cutaneous manifestations in liver disorders can be of great help as many liver disorders can easily be detected at their incipient stage. This study was done to assess the spectrum of cutaneous manifestations in liver disorders and a significant observation made was liver disease wise specific evaluation of cutaneous manifestations thus providing better insight into the type of liver diseases.