Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is chronic liver disease in which fibrosis and regenerative nodules distort liver architecture, impairing blood flow and liver function.

Hepatic fibrosis: Excessive extracellular matrix deposition in the liver, often forming scar tissue after chronic injury. Fibrosis is the scar-forming process that progresses into cirrhosis when liver architecture becomes distorted.
Alcohol-related liver disease: Liver injury caused by prolonged harmful alcohol consumption, ranging from fat accumulation to hepatitis and cirrhosis. Sustained alcohol-related injury is a major pathway to cirrhosis.
Liver biopsy: A procedure that removes a small sample of liver tissue for microscopic examination. Biopsy can establish cirrhosis or clarify its cause when noninvasive tests are inconclusive.
Compensated cirrhosis: Cirrhosis without clinically apparent complications such as ascites, variceal bleeding, or hepatic encephalopathy. It is an earlier clinical state in which liver function can remain sufficient despite scarring.
Portal hypertension: Abnormally high pressure in the portal venous system that carries blood from the digestive organs to the liver. Distorted liver tissue resists portal blood flow, raising pressure upstream.
Metabolic dysfunction-associated steatotic liver disease: A spectrum of liver disease associated with metabolic risk factors and excess fat in the liver. Its inflammatory form can cause progressive fibrosis and cirrhosis.
Transient elastography: An ultrasound-based method that estimates tissue stiffness by measuring the speed of mechanical waves. Liver stiffness measurements help assess fibrosis without obtaining tissue.
Decompensated cirrhosis: Cirrhosis with complications such as ascites, variceal bleeding, or hepatic encephalopathy. It marks the development of major complications and a poorer prognosis.
Hepatic encephalopathy: Brain dysfunction caused by liver failure or portosystemic shunting, often involving accumulation of neurotoxic substances. Impaired detoxification and blood bypassing the liver can disrupt brain function.
Hepatitis B: A viral infection caused by hepatitis B virus that can become chronic and damage the liver. Chronic infection can sustain inflammation that advances to cirrhosis.

Linked from 28 pages