Cirrhosis Summary Cirrhosis is scarring of the liver. Scar tissue forms because of injury or long-term disease. Scar tissue cannot do what healthy liver tissue does – make protein, help fight infections, clean the blood, help digest food and store energy. Cirrhosis can lead to Easy bruising or bleeding, or nosebleeds Swelling of the abdomen or legs Extra sensitivity to medicines High blood pressure in the vein entering the liver Enlarged veins called varices in the esophagus and stomach. Varices can bleed suddenly. Kidney failure Jaundice Severe itching Gallstones A small number of people with cirrhosis get liver cancer. Your doctor will diagnose cirrhosis with blood tests, imaging tests, or a biopsy. Cirrhosis has many causes. In the United States, the most common causes are chronic alcoholism and hepatitis. Nothing will make the scar tissue disappear, but treating the cause can keep it from getting worse. If too much scar tissue forms, you may need to consider a liver transplant. NIH: National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Array Abdominal tap Ascites Cirrhosis Cirrhosis – discharge Hepatic encephalopathy Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS) Diagnosis and Tests Abdominal Ultrasound Array AMA Test American Association for Clinical Chemistry CT — Abdomen and Pelvis Array Liver Biopsy National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Liver Panel American Association for Clinical Chemistry Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP) Array MRI of the Body (Chest, Abdomen, Pelvis) Array Encyclopedia ACE blood test Alpha fetoprotein Alpha-1 antitrypsin test Anti-smooth muscle antibody Antimitochondrial antibody Bleeding esophageal varices Gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase (GGT) blood test Hepatorenal syndrome Leucine aminopeptidase – urine Leucine aminopeptidase blood test Liver biopsy Mesenteric angiography Pleural fluid analysis Portacaval shunting Primary biliary cirrhosis Protein electrophoresis – serum Total iron binding capacity Related Issues Alcohol and Cirrhosis Department of Veterans Affairs Cirrhosis and Portal Hypertension American Academy of Family Physicians Esophageal Varices Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Nonalcoholic Fatty Liver Disease Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Nonalcoholic Steatohepatitis National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Find an Expert American Liver Foundation American Liver Foundation National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Start Here Cirrhosis National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Cirrhosis Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research Cirrhosis: A Patient’s Guide Department of Veterans Affairs What I Need to Know about Cirrhosis National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Clinical Trials ClinicalTrials.gov: Liver Cirrhosis National Institutes of Health Living With Eating Tips for People with Cirrhosis Department of Veterans Affairs Statistics and Research FastStats: Chronic Liver Disease and Cirrhosis National Center for Health Statistics Genetics Genetics Home Reference: African iron overload National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: cryptogenic cirrhosis National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: glycogen storage disease type III National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: hypermanganesemia with dystonia, polycythemia, and cirrhosis National Library of Medicine Genetics Home Reference: North American Indian childhood cirrhosis National Library of Medicine Treatments and Therapies Interventional Treatments for Liver Disease Society of Interventional Radiology Milk Thistle National Center for Complementary and Integrative Health Specifics Primary Biliary Cirrhosis National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases Primary Biliary Cirrhosis Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research What Is Decompensated Cirrhosis? Department of Veterans Affairs Journal Articles Cirrhosis
