Approach to the patient with abnormal liver tests - UpToDate

Abnormal liver tests are frequently detected in asymptomatic patients since many screening blood test panels routinely include them [1]. A population-based survey in the United States conducted between 1999 and 2002 estimated that an abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was present in 8.9 percent of respondents. Although the term "liver function tests" (LFTs) is used commonly, it is imprecise and potentially misleading since many of the tests reflecting the health of the liver are not direct measures of its function. Furthermore, the commonly used liver biochemical tests may be abnormal even in patients with a healthy liver. Liver enzymes that are commonly measured in the serum include: ● Serum aminotransferases: alanine aminotransferase (ALT; formerly called SGPT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST; formerly called SGOT) ● Alkaline phosphatase ● Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase ● 5'-nucleotidase ● Lactate dehydrogenase (LDH) Tests of hepatic synthetic function include: ● Serum albumi

Abnormal liver tests are frequently detected in asymptomatic patients since many screening blood test panels routinely include them [1]. A population-based survey in the United States conducted between 1999 and 2002 estimated that an abnormal alanine aminotransferase (ALT) was present in 8.9 percent of respondents. Although the term "liver function tests" (LFTs) is used commonly, it is imprecise and potentially misleading since many of the tests reflecting the health of the liver are not direct measures of its function. Furthermore, the commonly used liver biochemical tests may be abnormal eve