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Tests and diagnosis
By Mayo Clinic staff
Tests and procedures used to diagnose autoimmune hepatitis include:
- Blood tests. Testing a sample of your blood for antibodies can distinguish autoimmune hepatitis from viral hepatitis and other disorders with similar symptoms. Antibody tests also help pinpoint the type of autoimmune hepatitis you have.
- Liver biopsy. Doctors perform a liver biopsy to confirm the diagnosis and to determine the degree and type of liver damage. During the procedure, a small amount of liver tissue is removed, using a thin needle that's passed into your liver through a small incision in your skin. The sample is then sent to a laboratory for analysis.
References
- Autoimmune hepatitis. National Institute for Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases. http://digestive.niddk.nih.gov/ddiseases/pubs/autoimmunehep/index.htm. Accessed Jan. 15, 2010.
- Promrat K, et al. Hepatitis, autoimmune. In: Ferri FF. Ferri's Clinical Advisor 2010. Philadelphia, Pa.: Mosby; 2010. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/178515191-4/0/2088/0.html. Accessed Jan. 15, 2010.
- Czaja AJ. Autoimmune hepatitis. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/178515191-4/0/1389/0.html. Accessed Jan. 15, 2010.
- Luxon BA. Diagnosis and treatment of autoimmune hepatitis. Gastroenterology Clinics of North America. 2008;37:461.
- Teufel A, et al. Concurrent autoimmune diseases in patients with autoimmune hepatitis. Journal of Clinical Gastroenterology. In press. Accessed Jan. 27, 2010.
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