What is it?

Cirrhosis is the end stage of chronic liver disease, when scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue. As cirrhosis progresses, more of the healthy liver tissue is damaged and scar tissue forms. A decompensated cirrhosis occurs when the liver cannot function properly anymore. If cirrhosis is diagnosed early enough, further damage can be limited by treatment. There can be many causes for cirrhosis such as chronic alcohol consumption, chronic infection by hepatitis B, C or D, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease, hemochromatosis, cystic fibrosis, Wilson’s disease, alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency, biliary atresia, galactosemia, glycogen storage disease, Alagille syndrome, autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, syphilis, brucellosis and medications such as methotrexate or isoniazid. Cirrhosis may have many complications such as portal hypertension, leg edema, ascites (fluid in the abdomen), enlargement of the spleen, bleeding from esophageal or gastric varices. Also, as one of the liver functions is blood clotting- the bleeding can be life threatening. Infections, hepatic encephalopathy, malnutrition, jaundice, bone disease, liver cancer and acute-on-chronic cirrhosis are more complications seen in patients with chronic liver failure.