Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is a liver condition which is characterized by late stage scarring or fibrosis of liver which occur due to liver diseases and conditions such as hepatitis and chronic alcoholism. This damage to the liver can’t be cured however, is damage is reported early; it can be reversed.
Symptoms
Symptoms include:
- Weakness
- Fatigue
- Easy bruising and tendency to bleed
- Decrease appetite
- Nausea
- Edema on legs
- Unintentional weight loss
- Skin become itchy
- Jaundice
- Ascites
- Hepatic encephalopathy characterized by confusion, drowsiness and slurred speech
- Gynecomastia
- Spider-like blood vessels on skin
- Palms of hands become red
Causes
Major causes of cirrhosis are:
- Chronic alcohol consumption
- Hepatitis B, C and D
- Liver accumulation in liver
- Genetic digestive disorder
- Copper accumulation in liver
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis
- Medications, including methotrexate or isoniazid
- Galactosemia or glycogen storage disease
Complications
- Portal hypertension
- Edema of legs
- Ascites of abdomen
- Enlarged veins due to portal hypertension leading to the formation of varices which tends to bleed
- Malnutrition
- High risk of fractures
Diagnosis
Diagnosis of cirrhosis depends upon detailed medical history and complete general physical examination of the patient. Other tests include:
- Blood tests to assess kidney and liver functioning
- Imaging tests like CT scan, MRI, ultrasound
- Biopsy of tissue sample taken from diseased liver.
Treatment
Treatment depends upon how much liver is affected and for how long. Treatment options include:
- Treating alcohol dependency
- Weight loss of body weight
- Medications to treat viral infections of liver
- Anti-hypertension medications for portal hypertension
- band ligations for bleeding
- Liver transplant surgery is considered sometimes.