Liver fibrosis is characterized by the presence of irregular tumors or nodules that form across what was originally smooth liver tissue. This may have occurred due to excess alcohol intake, viral hepatitis or other factors that lead to toxicity of the liver. The term cirrhosis refers to the formation of scar tissue (fibrosis) in place of liver cells that have died as a result of long-term liver damage. Immune therapy may be an alternate therapeutic approach for treating chronic hepatitis B.Elevated acetate levels reprogram gut microbiota during alcohol intake.New liquid biopsy test found to be highly accurate, sensitive for both NASH and liver fibrosis.Patients may therefore overlook symptoms and attribute them to other conditions. In the early stages of cirrhosis, symptoms can again be non-specific and mild.
An excess of bilirubin accumulates in the blood and deposits in the skin, which causes yellowish discoloration. This is caused by the damaged liver failing to adequately process bilirubin, the waste product that occurs when old red blood cells are broken down. Jaundice is indicated by a yellowing of the skin, whites of the eyes and nails. Some of the most common causes of hepatomegaly are metastatic cancer, hepatomegaly, fatty liver disease and cirrhosis.
Liver disease can disrupt blood flow in the liver or cause tumors (benign or malignant) to develop, which adds to the mass of the liver. Pain may be caused by the liver growing in size due to the accumulation of fat, acute inflammation or any injury that can expand and stretch the sensitive membrane covering the liver. Pain and discomfort may be felt in the upper right side of the abdomen where the liver is located. Such symptoms may therefore easily be overlooked in a patient with early-stage disease.Īs liver disease progresses, however, some key clinical features that may manifest include: Pain in the right upper abdomen Symptoms can be mild and non-specific such as a loss of appetite, fatigue, general malaise, nausea and vomiting or weight loss. Over a hundred different types of liver disease are currently known to exist and symptoms can vary widely depending on whether a patient has hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, fatty liver disease or cirrhosis, for example.įurthermore, symptoms are not always obvious in the early stages of liver disease. Image Credit: Explode / Symptoms of liver disease Cirrhosis is a non-reversible, dangerous condition that can lead to liver failure. Long-term or chronic liver damage can eventually lead to scarring of the organ, a condition referred to as cirrhosis. Liver disease can occur as an inherited condition or be caused by various factors that lead to liver damage such as viral infection, alcohol use or obesity. The liver is therefore a vital organ for digestion and ridding the body of toxins. The liver is made up of cells called hepatocytes, which absorb nutrients and detoxify the blood by eliminating harmful substances. The liver holds around 13% of the body’s blood supply and performs approximately 500 different functions. Weighing around 1.3 kg in females and 1.8 kg in males, the liver is the largest solid organ in the body. The liver is a large, reddish-brown organ that sits mainly in the upper right portion of the abdomen above the stomach and below the diaphragm. If you are very unwell, you may be referred or admitted to hospital, although this is unusual – only a very small number of people with abnormal liver blood tests require admission.By Sally Robertson, B.Sc. In certain cases a liver biopsy (where a tiny piece of tissue is taken from the liver for examination) may be considered to specifically diagnose a condition or provide information on the extent of scarring inside the liver. These may include imaging scans such as ultrasound, elastography scans such as FibroScan, CT or MRI scans, which help doctors get a better picture of the extent of any damage to the liver. Scans may be performed to help understand the cause of the abnormality and also to assess how significant any damage is. However, any abnormality does need to be investigated to find out what the cause is. An infection or a reaction to medication might affect your blood test results and sometimes a repeat liver blood test is all that’s needed. Abnormal liver blood test results are relatively common and most people with these results have normal liver function.
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