Recent advances in the treatment of alcoholic hepatitis (AH) have reinforced the utility of glucocorticoids, a treatment that has been in use for nearly 4 decades, to enhance short-term survival. As multi-institutional consortia research new therapeutic advances, this orphan disease, which afflicts younger patients and has poor outcomes, continues to be difficult to manage. AH has a protean clinical presentation and course, with various prediction models and treatment approaches that can challenge even experienced providers. This review addresses 4 key controversies and other practical issues associated with the diagnosis, prognosis, management, and treatment of patients with AH.
Keywords: Alcoholic hepatitis; Glasgow Alcoholic Hepatitis Score; Lille model; Model for End-Stage Liver Disease; discriminant function; early liver transplantation.