Hepatic fibrosis
| Cirrhosis | |
|---|---|
 |
|
| The abdomen of a person with cirrhosis showing massive fluid buildup and very visible veins | |
| Pronunciation | |
| Specialty | Gastroenterology |
| Symptoms | Tired, itchy, swelling in the lower legs, yellow skin, easily bruise, fluid build up in the abdomen |
| Complications | Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, hepatic encephalopathy, dilated veins in the esophagus, liver cancer |
| Usual onset | Over months or years |
| Duration | Long term |
| Causes | Alcohol, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, non-alcoholic fatty liver disease |
| Diagnostic method | Blood tests, medical imaging, liver biopsy |
| Prevention | Vaccination, avoiding alcohol |
| Treatment | Depends on underlying cause |
| Frequency | 2.8 million (2015) |
| Deaths | 1.3 million (2015) |
| Classification | |
|---|---|
| External resources |
Cirrhosis is a condition in which the liver does not function properly due to long-term damage. This damage is characterized by the replacement of normal liver tissue by scar tissue. Typically, the disease develops slowly over months or years. Early on, there are often no symptoms. As the disease worsens, a person may become tired, weak, itchy, have swelling in the lower legs, develop yellow skin, bruise easily, have fluid build up in the abdomen, or develop spider-like blood vessels on the skin. The fluid build-up in the abdomen may become spontaneously infected. Other complications include hepatic encephalopathy, bleeding from dilated veins in the esophagus or dilated stomach veins, and liver cancer. Hepatic encephalopathy results in confusion and may lead to unconsciousness.
Cirrhosis is most commonly caused by alcohol, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease. Typically, more than two or three alcoholic drinks per day over a number of years is required for alcoholic cirrhosis to occur. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease has a number of causes, including being overweight, diabetes, high blood fats, and high blood pressure. A number of less common causes of cirrhosis include autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, hemochromatosis, certain medications, and gallstones. Diagnosis is based on blood testing, medical imaging, and liver biopsy.
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