What are the common causes of chronic liver disease (CLD)?
Chronic liver disease is a complication of liver damage. It presents as ascites, hematemesis, melena, gallstones, itching, jaundice, weight loss, loss of appetite, hepato-renal failure, bleeding disturbance, spider veins or encephalopathy. CLD may present due to: alcohol intake, Hep B, C and D, NASH (due to DM, HTN, obesity and hyperlipidemia), genetic causes (cystic fibrosis, hereditary haemochromatosis, Wilson's and glycogen storage diseases), Autoimmune diseases (primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, autoimmune hepatitis), drug induced (INH, methotrexate, amiodarone, phenytoin, sodium valproate, nitrofurantoin) and vascular diseases (Budd-Chiari syndrome, idiopathic or cryptogenic disease).
