Liver Cirrhosis: Complications, Treatment, and Diagnosis

Liver Cirrhosis: Complications, Treatment, and Diagnosis

Liver cirrhosis is a serious medical condition that affects the liver, causing damage to the liver tissue and replacing it with scar tissue. This condition can lead to many dangerous and life-threatening complications.

Common complications of liver cirrhosis:

• Hepatic encephalopathy (HE): This is a common complication caused by the buildup of ammonia in the blood. Symptoms include confusion, coma, and seizures.

• Ascites infection: This is a common complication that occurs when ascites becomes infected.

• Esophageal variceal bleeding: This is a dangerous complication that can cause severe gastrointestinal bleeding.

• Ascites: This is the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, causing abdominal swelling.

Complications with the highest mortality rate and most frequent occurrence:

• Bleeding: This complication can occur due to esophageal variceal rupture or clotting problems.

Treatment:

• Prophylactic treatment of esophageal variceal bleeding:

• Endoscopic band ligation.

• Beta-blocker medication.

• Prophylactic treatment of HE:

• Oral or rectal lactulose.

• Prophylactic treatment of ascites infection:

• Ciprofloxacin.

• Cephalosporin.

• Treatment of ascites complication:

• Salt restriction.

• TIPS (Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt).

• Aldosterone antagonist diuretics.

• Treatment of variceal bleeding complication:

• Vasoactive drugs.

• TIPS.

• Treatment of ascites infection:

• Cebotaxim.

• Ciprobay.

Differential diagnosis:

• Right heart failure.

• Nephrotic syndrome.

• Liver cancer.

• Chronic hepatitis.

Diagnosis:

• CT scan for diagnosis and differentiation.

• Liver stiffness measurement to assess the severity of cirrhosis.

Tests:

• Elevated GGT levels in alcoholic cirrhosis and jaundice.

Characteristics:

• In cirrhosis, anemia is usually hypochromic.

• X-ray image of cirrhosis: irregular margins, uneven parenchyma, liver brighter than normal.

• 3 types of cirrhosis:

• Nodular hyperplasia often due to alcohol.

• Macronodular hyperplasia.

• Immune-mediated.

Additional treatment:

• Propranolol is used to treat fibrosis in patients with cirrhosis.

Note:

This information is for reference purposes only, and you should consult a doctor for appropriate advice and treatment.