COVID 19 and liver: An A-Z literature review

The coronavirus pandemic has changed the priorities of the whole medical society. During the clinical course of COVID-19, it has been observed that hepatic injury occurs in a significant proportion of patients, particularly in those with severe or critical illness. In this literature review, we summarize the most recent studies, which covered the pathophysiology of COVID-19 induced liver injury including; hepatic pathological findings, therapy related liver damage, and the effects of the viral infection on preexisting liver diseasesin context of the most recent recommendations. Conclusions: This review sheds light on the impact of COVID-19 infection on the liver, as well as the prognostic effect of liver laboratory markers on disease outcome. Temporal variations in liver parameters during disease course as well as different patterns of derangement are depicted. More intensive surveillance and individualized therapeutic approaches should be tailored for immunocompromised patients with advanced liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplant patients. Despite the limited studies on COVID-19 infected patients with preexisting liver disease, this comprehensive overview provides a perspective on the management of liver disease during COVID-19. (C) 2020 Editrice Gastroenterologica Italiana S.r.l. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Automated summary

The COVID-19 pandemic has changed medical priorities, with a significant proportion of patients experiencing hepatic injury, particularly those with severe illness. This review focuses on the pathophysiology of COVID-19 induced liver injury, therapy related liver damage, and the effects of viral infection on preexisting liver diseases. Recommendations include more intensive surveillance and tailored therapeutic approaches for immunocompromised patients, advanced liver disease, hepatocellular carcinoma, and liver transplant patients. Despite limited studies, this overview provides insight on managing liver disease during COVID-19.