Cirrhosis of the Liver
Description of cirrhosis and liver size
What is cirrhosis?
Cirrhosis is an advanced condition of liver diseases characterized by fibrosis, scar tissue and regenerative multinodular lumps, which are formed by replacement of the normal liver architecture and cells. The lumps are benign hyperplastic mass, but some of them can progress to cancer.
The risk of cirrhosis of the liver and symptoms: Cirrhosis itself can also cause life-threatening, such as liver dysfunction and failure, gastrointestinal bleeding (vomiting blood, blood in stool), accumulation of fluid in the abdomen. Possible symptoms of cirrhosis are far more than these. Patients often die of liver failure, brain failure, weakness, gastrointestinal bleeding, and liver cancer.
PICTURE: The liver surface is rough, not smooth; Normal architecture of liver has been destroyed; Zillion nodules distributed in liver; A spherical liver cancer (CA) in the lower edge of the right lobe of liver.
Enlarged liver
In early stage of liver cirrhosis, the liver is still swollen. This is a transition period from hepatitis to cirrhosis. At this time, the liver is still inflamed and swollen, and only part of liver tissues are replaced by fibrous scars.
Shrinkage of liver
Have you heard of "fiber contraction" or "scar contraction"? They are simple and obvious. When the normal liver tissues are replaced by fibrous scars, they will produce contraction to shrink liver back to small size. That often occurs in the medium, late stage. Even the numerous nodules, they are not enough to enlarge the liver.
Enlarged spleen
Whether the liver enlarge or shrink, spleen is always enlarged due to too much blood in the spleen in the context of liver portal hypertension. Splenomegaly is always associated with hypersplenism, which represents an overactive spleen to excessively destroy blood cells.
See also
- Hepatitis Hepatitis is inflammation of the liver, in which liver cell damage or cell death occur. Most cases of hepatitis are caused most frequently by virus, but also by alcohol, certain drugs, chemical substances, or poisoning.
- Viral hepatitis and Contagious
Viral hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver, caused by hepatitis viruses; Is viral hepatitis contagious? - Alcoholic liver disease Chronic and excessive alcohol consumption is a major reason for alcoholic liver disease, which includes alcoholic fatty liver disease, alcoholic hepatitis, and liver cirrhosis.
- Fatty Liver disease
Fatty liver is a very common chronic liver disease, characterized by an increased amount of fat in the liver. - Liver cancer
Liver cancer is a malignant tumor of the liver, that is less common and usually arises in the liver with a history of alcoholic cirrhosis.