Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver [hepar = liver, -itis = inflammation].
Colloquially, hepatitis is also called jaundice due to the typical yellowing of the skin.
Hepatitis (inflammation of the liver) can be caused by the following factors:
- Toxic substances (alcohol, drugs).
- Metabolic diseases: e.g. Wilson’s disease (copper storage disease); hemochromatosis (iron storage disease).
- Fatty degeneration of the liver (fatty liver, steatosis hepatis), eg, non-alcoholic fatty liver hepatitis.
- Autoimmune diseases – immune reactions against the body’s own cells.
- Bacteria
- Viruses (hepatitis viruses, herpes viruses and the yellow fever virus).
The following types of viral hepatitis are distinguished:
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Hepatitis D
- Hepatitis E
- Hepatitis G
Hepatitis A, B, C and D are classified as sexually transmitted diseases – STD.
