Condition Lookup
Sub-Category:
Liver Cirrhosis
Number of Conditions: 3
Alcoholic Cirrhosis
Specialty: Gastrointestinal
Category: Liver Disorders
Sub-category: Liver Cirrhosis
Symptoms:
fatigue; jaundice (yellowing of skin and eyes); abdominal swelling (ascites); loss of appetite; nausea; easy bruising or bleeding; spider angiomas (small, spider-like blood vessels visible under the skin); confusion or drowsiness (hepatic encephalopathy); dark urine; pale stools
Root Cause:
Chronic alcohol abuse damages liver cells, leading to scarring (fibrosis) and loss of liver function.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Diagnosis involves medical history review (alcohol consumption), physical examination, blood tests (liver function tests, INR, bilirubin), imaging studies (ultrasound, CT, or MRI), and possibly a liver biopsy to confirm.
Treatment:
Treatment focuses on abstinence from alcohol, nutritional support, managing complications (e.g., ascites, hepatic encephalopathy), and, in severe cases, liver transplantation.
Medications:
Medications include diuretics (e.g., spironolactone or furosemide ) to manage fluid retention, lactulose or rifaximin to treat hepatic encephalopathy, and vitamin supplementation (thiamine , folate, vitamin D) to address deficiencies.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Alcoholic cirrhosis affects approximately 10–15% of heavy drinkers and accounts for around 50% of cirrhosis cases globally.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Chronic heavy alcohol consumption, genetic predisposition, malnutrition, co-existing liver diseases (e.g., hepatitis C).
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Prognosis depends on alcohol abstinence and severity at diagnosis. Without abstinence, survival is often less than 5 years. Early abstinence improves outcomes.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Portal hypertension, variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, liver failure, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer).
Cryptogenic Cirrhosis
Specialty: Gastrointestinal
Category: Liver Disorders
Sub-category: Liver Cirrhosis
Symptoms:
fatigue; jaundice; abdominal swelling; unexplained weight loss; loss of appetite; easy bruising; spider angiomas; itching (pruritus); dark urine
Root Cause:
Cirrhosis without an identifiable cause, often associated with undiagnosed non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD), insulin resistance, or autoimmune conditions.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Exclusion of known causes of liver disease (e.g., alcohol, hepatitis viruses, autoimmune markers); imaging (ultrasound, CT, MRI); liver biopsy to assess fibrosis and exclude other pathologies.
Treatment:
Addressing underlying factors (e.g., managing metabolic syndrome, weight loss, controlling diabetes), supportive care, and managing complications like ascites and portal hypertension.
Medications:
Diuretics (spironolactone or furosemide ) for ascites, lactulose or rifaximin for hepatic encephalopathy, and vitamin supplementation. No specific medications target cryptogenic cirrhosis.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Accounts for 5–30% of cirrhosis cases worldwide, often diagnosed in advanced stages.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Metabolic syndrome, obesity, diabetes, genetic predisposition, undiagnosed or untreated fatty liver disease.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Variable; depends on stage at diagnosis and response to treatment. Early management of risk factors improves outcomes. Advanced cases may require liver transplantation.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Portal hypertension, variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, liver failure, hepatocellular carcinoma.
Cirrhosis from Hepatitis or Fatty Liver Disease
Specialty: Gastrointestinal
Category: Liver Disorders
Sub-category: Liver Cirrhosis
Symptoms:
fatigue; jaundice; abdominal swelling; loss of appetite; nausea; easy bruising or bleeding; confusion or drowsiness; dark urine; pale stools
Root Cause:
Chronic inflammation from hepatitis B, hepatitis C, or non-alcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) leads to progressive fibrosis and cirrhosis.
How it's Diagnosed: videos
Blood tests for liver function, viral hepatitis markers, imaging (ultrasound, transient elastography), and sometimes a liver biopsy for fibrosis grading.
Treatment:
Antiviral medications for hepatitis (e.g., entecavir or tenofovir for HBV; direct-acting antivirals for HCV), weight loss and diabetes management for NAFLD, and supportive care for complications.
Medications:
Antivirals (e.g., sofosbuvir , velpatasvir ), diuretics for fluid retention, lactulose or rifaximin for hepatic encephalopathy, and nutritional supplements as needed.
Prevalence:
How common the health condition is within a specific population.
Cirrhosis from hepatitis or fatty liver disease is a leading cause of liver-related morbidity worldwide, with NAFLD prevalence rising due to obesity epidemics.
Risk Factors:
Factors or behaviors that increase the likelihood of developing the condition.
Chronic hepatitis B or C infection, obesity, diabetes, metabolic syndrome, heavy alcohol consumption, genetic factors.
Prognosis:
The expected outcome or course of the condition over time.
Depends on the underlying cause and stage at diagnosis. With treatment of the underlying condition (e.g., hepatitis antivirals or weight management), progression can be slowed. Advanced cases may require liver transplantation.
Complications:
Additional problems or conditions that may arise as a result of the original condition.
Portal hypertension, variceal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, liver failure, hepatocellular carcinoma.