Liver Cirrhosis : Causes, Symptoms, Diagnosis and Treatment

Liver cirrhosis is the severe stage of scaring of liver, which is caused by many forms of liver diseases and conditions, such as hepatitis and chronic alcoholism.

• Cirrhosis occurs in response to damage to your liver
• Each time the liver is injured, it tries to repair itself. In the process, scar tissue forms
• If it is allowed to continue, development of scar tissue can eventually stop the liver function.
• The liver carries out several essential functions; it helps to remove harmful substances from the body. It also purifies the blood and manufactures vital nutrients.

Causes of liver cirrhosis:

Certain conditions which can cause cirrhosis include:

• Drinking too much of alcohol
• Hepatitis B and C infection
• Fatty liver disease
• Autoimmune hepatitis
• Genetic disease such hemachromatosis or Wilson's disease
• Blockage of bile ducts
• Cystic fibrosis.
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis - hardening and scarring of the bile ducts
• Galactosemia - inability to process sugars in milk
• Schistosomiasis - a parasite commonly found in some developing countries
• Biliary atresia - badly formed bile ducts in babies
• Glycogen storage disease - problems in the storage and energy release vital for cell function

Symptoms of Cirrhosis:

Cirrhosis symptoms may include:

• Fatigue
• Bleeding easily
• Bruising easily
• Itchy skin
• Yellow discoloration in the skin and eyes (jaundice)
• Fluid accumulation in your abdomen (ascites)
• Loss of appetite
• Nausea
• Swelling in your legs
• Weight loss
• Confusion, drowsiness and slurred speech (hepatic encephalopathy)
• Spiderlike blood vessels on your skin
• Redness in the palms of the hands
• Testicular atrophy in men
• Breast enlargement in men

Diagnosis of Cirrhosis:

Certain blood test for diagnosis may include:

• Test for liver function- Blood test is done to check for excess bilirubin, as well as for certain enzymes that may indicate liver damage.
• Test for kidney function- Blood test is done to check for creatinine as kidney function may decline in later stages of cirrhosis.
• Blood test for hepatitis B and C- Blood test is done to check for the hepatitis viruses.
• Clotting factor- Blood test are done to check for clotting factors, if the blood can clot or not.

Other test may include:

• Magnetic resonance elastography or transient elastography- These noninvasive imaging tests detect hardening or stiffening of the liver
• MRI, CT and ultrasound- They create images of the liver.
• Biopsy- A biopsy of the liver may be done to identify the severity, extent and cause of liver damage.

Treatments of Cirrhosis:

Treatment of cirrhosis may be issued depending on the severity and stage of cirrhosis, which may include:

• Beta blockers or nitrates (for portal hypertension)
• Quitting drinking (if the cirrhosis is caused by alcohol)
• Banding procedures (used to control bleeding from esophageal varices)
• Intravenous antibiotics (to treat peritonitis that can occur with ascites)
• Hemodialysis (to purify the blood of those in kidney failure)
• Lactulose and a low protein diet (to treat encephalopathy)
• Liver transplantation (as a last option when other methods fail)