This book is the proceedings of the Falk Symposium No. 137 on "Liver Diseases: Advances in Treatment and Prevention" (part of the XII International Falk Liver Week 2003 in honour of Hans Popper's 100th birthday, held on October 17-19, 2003). It covers our present knowledge of the diagnosis, treatment and prevention of liver diseases, including hepatitis B, hepatitis C and delta hepatitis as well as alcoholic liver diseases, non-alcoholic steatohepatitis and the hereditary liver diseases haemochromatosis, Wilson's disease and alpha-1-antitrypsin deficiency. In addition to these clinical entities, the sequelae of liver cirrhosis and its complications, including the clinical management of ascites, the hepatorenal as well as the hepato- and porto-pulmonary hypertension syndrome are discussed. New developments with respect to liver support systems and liver transplantation are further highlights of the proceedings.

The main topics mentioned above are complemented by state-of-the-art chapters on "Hepatocellular Carcinoma", "Emerging Hepatitis Viruses" and "Fulminant Liver Failure" that are of interest to both basic scientists as well as clinicians. A special section is devoted to "Liver Histology" as a tribute to Hans Popper who contributed eminently to the basic and clinical aspects of hepatology.

All in all, Liver Diseases: Advances in Treatment and Prevention provides an exciting overview of the current developments in the treatment and prevention of viral, alcoholic, non-alcoholic and hereditary liver diseases, presented by an international faculty of outstanding scientists and clinicians.

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List of Principal Authors. Preface. 1: State of the Art I: Hepatocellular carcinoma; M Varela, M Sala, J Bruix. Section I: DIAGNOSIS OF LIVER DISEASES. 2. Markers of progression; D Schuppan, F Stickel. 3: Non-invasive imaging: ultrasound and duplex sonography; AK Kurz, HE Blum. 4: Invasive imaging: application for the evaluation of portal hypertension; A Dell'Era, J Gonzalez-Abraldes, J Bosch. Section II: LIVER HISTOLOGY: A TRIBUTE TO HANS POPPER. 5: A tribute to Hans Popper: Introduction; L Bianchi. 6: A tribute to Hans Popper: Chronic hepatitis: a short historical review; M Schmid. 7: Grading and staging in classification of chronic hepatitis; VJ Desmet, T Roskams. 8: Alcoholic hepatitis and Mallory bodies; H Denk, C Stumptner, A Fuchsbichler, K Zatloukal. 9: A tribute to Hans Popper: Biliary pathology; B Portmann. 10: Immunohistochemical and molecular markers; LM Terracciano. 11: State of the Art II: Emerging hepatitis viruses; HJ Alter. Section III: HEPATITIS B AND D. 12: Diagnosis of hepatitis B: new tools; GM Dusheiko. 13: Hepatitis B and D: standard treatment; Y-F Liaw. 14: Treatment of hepatitis B in special patient groups; D Moradpour, HE Blum. 15: New therapeutic developments in chronic hepatitis B; P Marcellin, T Asselah, C Castelnau, M Martinot, N Boyer. 16: Hepatitis B and D -- preventive vaccination; W Jilg. Section IV: HEPATITIS C. 17: Use and interpretation of hepatitis C virus diagnostic assays; J-M Pawlotsky. 18: Standard treatment of hepatitis C; S Zeuzem. 19: Management of 'difficult-to-treat' patients with chronic hepatitis C; S Boccato, A Alberti. 20: Hepatitis C - new therapeutic developments; U Spengler, B Langhans, J Nattermann, B Terjung, HD Nischalke, T Sauerbruch. Section V: SPECIAL LECTURES. 21: Hans Popper Memorial Lecture; R Schmid. 22: International Hans Popper Lecture; SL Friedman. 23: Dame Sheila Sherlock Memorial Lecture; N McIntyre. 24: Interferon for hepatitis C: yesterday, today and tomorrow; JH Hoofnagle. Section VI: ALCOHOLIC, NON-ALCOHOLIC AND HEREDITARY LIVER DISEASES. 25: The management of alcoholic hepatitis; CP Day. 26: Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease; LA Adams, P Angulo, 27: Haemochromatosis; E Corradini, F Ferrara, A Pietrangelo. 28: Morbus Wilson; JL Gollan. 29: Alpha1-antitrypsin deficiency; C Montemayor, RN Sifers. Section VII: COMPLICATIONS OF LIVER CIRRHOSIS. 30: Hepatorenal syndrome: advances in treatment and prevention; P Gines, M Guevara. 31: The hepatopulmonary and portopulmonary hypertension syndromes; MJ Krowka. 32: State of the Art III: Fulminant hepatic failure; G Auzinger. Section VIII: LIVER SUPPORT SYSTEMS. 33: Liver support systems: dialysis procedures; R Schmidt. 34: Liver cell-based strategies; F von Weizsacker, HE Blum. Section IX: LIVER TRANSPLANTATION. 35: Organ preservation; S Heinrich, P-A Clavien. 36: Indications and results in liver transplantation; P Neuhaus, R Pfitzmann. 37: The connected past and future of transplantation, with particular emphasis on the liver; TE Starzl. Index.