Alcoholic liver disease (hepatitis/cirrhosis)

Alternative names:

cirrhosis or hepatitis - alcoholic; Laennec's cirrhosis; liver disease due to alcohol

Symptoms:

• loss of appetite
• nausea
• swollen abdomen or increased abdominal circumference (from enlarged liver)
• jaundice
• abdominal pain and tenderness
• fever
• ascites (fluid collection in the abdomen)
• unintentional weight gain (because of the fluid collection)
• mental confusion
• excessive thirst
• dry mouth
• fatigue

Additional symptoms that may be associated with this disease:

• vomiting blood
• vomiting containing coffee ground material
• bloody or dark black or tarry bowel movements (melena)
• abnormally dark or light skin
• redness on feet or hands
• paleness
• lightheadedness or fainting, especially with upright posture
• rapid heart rate (tachycardia) when rising to standing position
• slow, sluggish, lethargic movement
• breast development in males
• impaired ability to concentrate
• agitation
• fluctuating mood
• difficulty paying attention (attention deficit)
• impaired judgment
• memory loss (amnesia)
  • impaired short-term memory
  • impaired long-term memory

• hallucinations

Note: Symptoms vary with the severity of the disease and are usually worse after a recent period of heavy drinking.

Signs and tests:

• A CBC test may show anemia and other abnormalities.
• Liver function tests such as ALP are abnormal.
• Liver biopsy shows typical findings for alcoholic liver disease.

Tests to rule out other diseases include:

• ultrasound of the abdomen
• CT scan - abdominal

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

• reticulocyte count
• ferritin
• alpha fetoprotein
• abdominal tap (paracentesis)