Liver cirrhosis is a serious disease in which damage occurs to the liver cells - hepatocytes - and proliferation inside the organ of the connective tissue. The liver cannot perform its main function - the neutralization of harmful substances in the body, they accumulate. The synthetic function of the liver is also disturbed : the production of proteins, for example, albumin, is reduced, and there is also a violation of the synthesis of many elements that affect blood coagulation.
Cirrhosis, causes
Hepatitis B and C viruses lead to the development of viral cirrhosis of the liver. Distinguish between the early form of the disease, which is considered as a direct outcome of viral hepatitis, and the late form, which appears due to the long (chronic) course of hepatitis. Liver cirrhosis can also be the outcome of autoimmune hepatitis.
Another cause of cirrhosis is stagnation in the biliary tract. When narrowing the large bile ducts, for example, when squeezing them with a tumor or stone, a violation of the architectonics of the organ gradually develops.
Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver is diagnosed in one fourth of people who regularly drink alcohol for a long time - more than 10 years. At the same time, the patient’s condition is aggravated by the abuse of alcohol, and when refusing alcohol, there is an improvement in well-being.
If the patient has heart failure or liver vein disease, congestive cirrhosis develops.
Other causes of cirrhosis:
- long-term use of certain medications (methotrexate, dopegitis);
- hereditary (the disease occurs due to congenital enzymopathy - deficiency or impaired synthesis of enzymes).
Most often, liver disease develops with a combination of several factors, for example, with viral hepatitis and chronic alcoholism. In some cases, the main cause of changes in the liver cannot be determined. Then they are diagnosed with cryptogenic cirrhosis.
The manifestations of cirrhosis are diverse. This is weight loss, weakness, upset stool, jaundice, skin itching, bleeding, an increase in organ size. The liver becomes dense and bumpy to the touch. The patient’s skin is pigmented, icteric, dry, with traces of numerous scratches, appearing on the upper half of the body “spider veins” (telangiectasias). A characteristic feature is the “liver palms”, they become bright red and hot to the touch.
The disease is dangerous by the development of complications that can lead to death. Because the passage of blood flow through the liver is disrupted, this leads to the formation of additional blood flow paths, one of which is the veins of the esophagus. Their varicose expansion occurs. From the dilated veins, bleeding occurs, the first sign of which is vomiting of "coffee grounds".
Due to impaired protein synthesis, edema develops, first of the lower limbs, and then the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen (ascites). The fluid, which in the abdominal cavity can sometimes be detected only with the help of ultrasound, can become inflamed, peritonitis develops.
The accumulation of toxic products in the body leads to impaired consciousness of patients (hepatic encephalopathy), the extreme manifestation of which is hepatic coma. Some patients develop liver cancer.
Many people with risk factors are concerned about the question: “How to check the liver?”. For a multilateral assessment of the liver, it is necessary to examine the patient’s blood, make a biochemical blood test, and evaluate the blood coagulation ability. The data of ultrasound, laparoscopy and biopsy are taken into account. To assess the condition of the veins of the esophagus, gastroscopy is used. As an additional method, computed tomography is used.
People who monitor their health can check the liver for a biochemical blood test. It is necessary to assess the level of alkaline phosphatase, liver enzymes - transaminases, bilirubin, total protein and albumin, cholesterol. The prothrombin index is also examined, a general analysis of capillary blood is performed.