What is Cirrhosis?

Cirrhosis is a serious condition that causes permanent scarring and damage to the tissue of the liver. About 35,000 people die of cirrhosis in the United States each year. Treatments for cirrhosis are quite limited and many people with the condition require a liver transplant to survive. The causes of cirrhosis are diverse, and in 18 percent of cases, no clear etiology is found.

Function

The liver is an essential organ; it stores glycogen, produces blood proteins and filters toxins from the body. It also has a major role in metabolism. When scar tissue is formed in the liver as a result of cirrhosis, it reduces the amount of blood that can flow freely through this organ. This adversely affects the liver's capability to perform normally, and leads to serious health problems.

Effects

Early cirrhosis does not typically produce noticeable symptoms; as the disease progresses, its effects gradually become more pronounced. The most common symptoms of cirrhosis are jaundice (yellowing of the skin and eyes), weight loss, nausea, fatigue, appetite loss, itching on the palms of the hands and soles of the feet and spider veins. In severe cases, cirrohosis can cause ascites (accumulated fluid in the abdominal cavity), edema (swelling of the extremities) and encephalopathy (mental confusion).

Identification

Signs of cirrhosis are commonly discovered during a routine medical examination. Your physician may notice that your liver feels enlarged and firm, which is a result of the scarring caused by the condition. To verify the diagnosis, blood tests are usually performed to evaluate how well your liver is functioning. An ultrasound, cat scan or MRI scan may also be performed to visualize the liver. The results of these tests may strongly suggest cirrhosis, but only a liver biopsy can definitively diagnose the condition. During a liver biopsy, the doctor inserts a long, thin needle through the abdomen and collects a sample of tissue from the liver for microscopic examination.

Prevention/Solution

The only cure for cirrhosis is a liver transplant. Unfortunately, there are far more people who need organ transplants than there are available organs. The most important part of treatment for cirrhosis is treating the condition that caused it to prevent further damage. Other treatments include nutrient-dense diet plans to help damaged cells in the liver heal, blood pressure medications to reduce the risk of bleeding, abstention from alcohol, reduced sodium intake to relieve fluid buildup, antihistimines or other medications to reduce itching and lactulose. Lactulose is a synthetic sugar that can reduce the level of ammonia in the blood; high blood ammonia levels are common in people who have cirrhosis.

Misconceptions

Cirrhosis is often thought of as an alcoholic's disease and it is true that long-term alcohol abuse can cause the condition. However, not everyone who develops cirrhosis abuses alcohol or for that matter, drinks at all. Only 21 percent of cirrhosis cases in the United States are a result of alcoholism. Worldwide, the most common causes of cirrhosis are hepatitis B and hepatitis C. Cirrhosis may also be caused by a disorder of the immune system, certain prescription drugs, fatty liver disease, disorders of the bile ducts and rare inherited diseases such as cystic fibrosis and Wilson's disease.

Resources

• Mayo Clinic: Cirrhosis
• eMedicine Health: Cirrhosis
• eMedicine: Cirrhosis