Cirrhosis

Alternative names:

liver cirrhosis

Symptoms:

• weakness
• weight loss
• nausea
• vomiting
• abnormal menstrual periods
• impotence
• loss of interest in sex
• vomiting blood
• jaundice
• small, red spider-like blood vessels under the skin

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

• urine output, decreased
• swelling, overall
• stools, pale or clay colored
• nosebleed - symptom
• gums, bleeding
• constipation
• gynecomastia (breast development in males)
• abdominal pain
• abdominal indigestion
• abdominal fullness, gaseous
• clubbing of the fingers or toes
• splenomegaly

Note: Symptoms may develop gradually; there may be no symptoms.

Signs and tests:

A physical examination reveals an enlarged liver.

Blood tests that reveal liver injury include:

• anemia on a CBC
• coagulation abnormalities
• elevated liver enzymes
• elevated bilirubin
• serum albumin low
• An abdominal X-ray shows an enlarged liver.
• A liver biopsy confirms cirrhosis.

This disease may also alter the results of the following tests:

• ACE levels
• alpha-1 antitrypsin
• ALT
• anti-smooth muscle antibody
• antimitochondrial antibody
• AST
• bilirubin; urine
• CEA
• cholesterol test
• complement
• complement component 3
• ERCP
• euglobulin lysis time
• febrile/cold agglutinins
• gamma-glutamyl transpeptidase
• laparoscopy
• leucine aminopeptidase - serum
• leucine aminopeptidase-urine
• liver scan
• mesenteric arteriography
• peritoneal fluid analysis
• pleural fluid analysis
• PT
• PTT
• renin
• serum magnesium - test
• thoracentesis
• TIBC
• Triglyceride
• vitamin B-12