Liver Diseases & Hepatology

Liver Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis, also referred to as liver cirrhosis, hepatic cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease, is a condition in which the liver's ability to perform its normal functions is compromised by the development of fibrosis, or scar tissue, because of liver disease-related damage. Damage triggers tissue healing and the subsequent formation of scar tissue, which over time can displace normally functional tissue and result in cirrhosis, a condition that impairs the function of the liver.

Symptoms may include tiredness, weakness, loss of appetite, unexplained weight loss, nausea and vomiting, and discomfort in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen. As the disease worsens, symptoms may include itchiness, swelling in the lower legs, fluid build-up in the abdomen, jaundice, bruising easily, and the development of spider-like blood vessels in the skin.