Alcoholic hepatitis: diagnosis and management in 2012.

Alcoholic hepatitis is a severe form of alcohol-related liver injury and one of the most frequent liver presentations seen by acute medical services. The condition typically affects young and middle-aged adults who present with jaundice and coagulopathy. Many patients fulfil the criteria for acute-on-chronic liver failure, though often the diagnosis of cirrhosis is only made after hospitalization. Despite over four decades of study, controversy surrounds many aspects of diagnosis and management, and short-term mortality in severe disease remains high. This review summarizes recent and important literature of relevance to clinicians, including aids to diagnosis, clinical prognostic scores and evidence for current medical therapies. Contentious issues such as the need for liver biopsy in diagnosis and the role for liver transplantation in those who fail to respond to medical treatment are also discussed.