Liver cirrhosis: main symptoms and treatment

The disease, like many other dangerous conditions, is almost undetectable in its first stages. It is generally believed that liver cirrhosis is related to alcohol, but there may be many more causes. It is extremely important to undergo treatment, otherwise the disorder can be fatal due to progressive liver damage.

Description of the disease

In the initial stages, there is an overgrowth of liver connective tissue (fibrosis) with the formation of nodules from 3 mm to 3 cm. Due to this transformation, the organ ceases to adequately fulfil its tasks, such as metabolic and detoxification functions. Chronic liver failure occurs. Cirrhosis is the final stage of the disorder.

What are the liver cirrhosis symptoms?

In most cases, in the early stages, the disease is asymptomatic. Destructive changes, ending in cirrhosis, occur almost imperceptibly. Sometimes abnormal findings in blood tests or ultrasound are detected accidentally, during a routine examination.

Initial signs

Fatigue, nausea and loss of appetite are the late-stage danger signals. Skin changes add to these non-specific signs, including:

• spider-like blood vessels, especially on the face or upper body;
• itching;
• white spots on the nails;
• redness and thickening of the palm tendons;
• blood vessel dilatation;
• redness and paling of the lips and tongue.

In men, they can be manifested by loss of hair on the abdomen and impotence, a decrease in the size of the testicles and enlarged mammary glands; in women – by irregular menstruation.

Liver cirrhosis progression and complications

Additional symptoms may appear with time, such as:

• yellowing of the skin and eyeballs, dark urine, pale stools (jaundice);
• fluid retention in the abdomen and legs;
• shortness of breath;
• nosebleeds;
• severe weight loss;
• deterioration of brain function.

There is also increased pressure in the portal vein, which carries venous blood from the abdomen to the liver. The smaller veins become congested and dilated. This leads to stomach and oesophagus bleedings. There is an increased risk of liver cancer as a late consequence of chronic liver damage.

Another complication is the accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity. This causes abdominal pain and difficulty breathing.

If the affected organ ceases to sufficiently cleanse the blood of toxins, they reach the brain, causing mental and neural disorders and hepatic encephalopathy.

Causes of liver cirrhosis

Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (steatosis) is one of the most common liver diseases. It occurs when the body gets more energy than it needs. The excess is stored as fat, including in the liver. Usually, fatty hepatosis is the result of a metabolic syndrome characterized by obesity, poor metabolism of fats and sugar, hypertension. It can develop into chronic inflammation and subsequently into cirrhosis.

Long-term alcohol consumption at a certain stage can also lead to the development of steatosis, which in this case is called alcoholic fatty disease.

A significant part of liver cirrhosis cases is caused by type B and C viral hepatitis. Less frequently, other infectious diseases, as well as cystic fibrosis, autoimmune inflammation, and medication side effects can lead to the development of the disease.

Liver cirrhosis diagnosis

Early detection of the disease is of crucial importance, as it allows for timely treatment and prevention.

The simplest method is palpation. Enlarged liver and spleen may indicate a dangerous process.

Laboratory tests

Imaging tests

Abdominal ultrasound reveals changes on the liver surface, characteristic of cirrhosis and its complications (abdominal hydrocele, enlarged spleen, new vessel growth).

Doppler sonography can determine the degree of portal hypertension.

Other modern non-invasive diagnostic techniques are used to measure liver stiffness at different stages (fibroscan/transient elastography and shear wave elastography), as well as fat content in liver cells (steatoscan).

In complicated cases or if the ultrasound results are contradictory, a CT or MRI is performed. They are not much more effective than ultrasound, but more accurately identify cancer-like foci in the cirrhotic liver.

Differential diagnosis

Since changes in the structure of the liver can also be a sign of cancer, it is sometimes necessary to take a tissue sample (biopsy) for diagnosis. For this purpose, an ultrasound-guided puncture or minimally invasive surgery (minilaparoscopy) is performed.

Stages of the disease

Liver cirrhosis staging is done according to the Child-Pugh-Score, which analyzes the disease according to five criteria and scores it according to a point system.

By summing up the scores, the doctor assigns the disease to a certain class. It determines therapy planning and prognosis assessment. At the Child-Pugh A stage, the prognosis is still quite favorable; as the disease progresses and the total score increases, the prognosis worsens.

Treatment of liver cirrhosis

The progression of the disease can be stopped by timely treatment of its cause. Proper therapy also alleviates the symptoms. However, the changes that have already occurred are irreversible. Therefore, in severe, advanced cases the only option is liver transplantation.

In any case, the core of treatment strategy is the most effective therapy of the underlying disease. For example, in hepatitis antiviral drugs are prescribed, in its autoimmune variant, drugs that suppress the immune system are given, whereas iron-binding agents are used to manage hemochromatosis.

It is also important to avoid substances harmful to the liver, such as alcohol and nonvital medicines.

Management of complications is also necessary. For example, in ascites, diuretics help to remove accumulated fluid from the body, and in severe cases, puncture may be performed.

Prognosis and prevention

A person's life cannot be considered over when cirrhosis is diagnosed. However, over time, scarring worsens, and the organ function continues to deteriorate. When the life-threatening stage is reached, a cirrhosis patient needs to find an alternative, and transplantation is the only remaining option.

To prevent the disease, the first thing to do is quit or at least moderate your alcohol consumption. The second most common cause of the dangerous illness can be eliminated with the help of vaccination against hepatitis. You should also be aware of occupational exposure to toxic chemicals, such as carbon tetrachloride, benzene, etc.

Cirrhosis patients are encouraged to take medications and vitamins only if they are really necessary. The liver, as the key metabolic organ, has to break down and eliminate all foreign substances from the body. Therefore, it is advisable to check with your doctor or pharmacist in advance how harmful a particular drug is for it. There may be a better tolerated substitute that does not increase the risk of liver damage and cirrhosis.

Conclusions

Liver cirrhosis is a severe disease that develops gradually, the functional tissues being destroyed and replaced by connective onces. Eventually, scarring and reduction in size no longer allow the organ to fully perform its work.

The disease is usually irreversible. However, its progression can be slowed if the causes of the condition are eliminated. If there are complication signs, specific therapy is usually required. Very often, if it is not possible to eliminate the provoking factors, the only solution is liver transplantation.

References:

1. Rationelle Diagnostik und Therapie in der Inneren Medizin in 2 Ordnern; Hrsg.: Meyer, J. & Pletz, M.W. & Mayet W.-J et al.; Elsevier, 5/2021
2. Referenz Gastroenterologie; Hrsg.: Riemann JF, Fischbach W, Galle PR, Mössner J; Thieme-Verlag Stuttgart, 2019
3. Essenzielles zur Leber; Hrsg.: Canbay A, Gerken G; MWV Verlagsgesellschaft Berlin, 2021
4. Gastroenterologie für Intensivmediziner; Hrsg.: Canbay A, Gerken G; Thieme-Verlag Stuttgart, 2017