[Liver diseases in internal medicine outpatient clinics].

Patients with a suspected or confirmed liver disease are frequent attendees at internal medicine outpatient clinics. Metabolic and toxic liver lesions are presently much more prevalent than infectious liver diseases. Liver steatosis and drug-induced liver impairment are the most frequent. The main task for internal medicine specialists in primary care with respect to chronic viral hepatitis B and C is to keep these diseases in mind and when an increased alaninaminotranspherase activity is detected, to perform blood tests for the presence of HBsAg as well as anti-HCV antibodies. Epidemiologically high-risk patients should always be tested for the presence of HBsAg and anti-HCV (even with normal ALT activity).