What are the symptoms, causes, stages, diagnosis and treatment of cirrhosis?
Symptoms of Cirrhosis - Hepatic encephalopathy - Peripheral edema - Fatigue and exhaustion - Nausea and vomiting - Weight loss - Jaundice - Spider-like blood vessels - Loss of appetite - Itchy and irritating skin - Ascites - Amorrhea - Gynecomastia - Testicular atrophy Causes of Cirrhosis - Chronic alcoholism - Hepatitis B, C, D - Medicines e.g. Amyldopa, Methotrexate, Amiodarone - Primary sclerosing cholangitis - Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease - Cystic fibrosis - Biliary atresia - Wilson’s disease - Alpha-1 Antitrypsin deficiency Stages of Cirrhosis Stage 1: Scarring of liver begins with few symptoms. Stage 2: Varices begin to form with portal hypertension. Stage 3: Intense liver scarring with ascite indicates high risk of liver failure. Stage 4: Liver transplant surgery is necessary otherwise the patient dies. Diagnosis of Cirrhosis - Complete Blood Count (CBC) - Alpha Fetoprotein Test - Coagulation Blood Test - Albumin tests - Liver Function Tests (LFT) - MRI - MRE - CT Scan - Liver biopsy Treatment of Cirrhosis - Liver transplant surgery