Cirrhosis history and symptoms
|
Cirrhosis Microchapters |
|
Diagnosis |
|---|
|
Treatment |
|
Case studies |
|
Cirrhosis history and symptoms On the Web |
|
American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Cirrhosis history and symptoms |
|
Risk calculators and risk factors for Cirrhosis history and symptoms |
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] ; Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief: Aarti Narayan, M.B.B.S [2]
Overview
The diagnosis of liver cirrhosis requires accurate knowledge of the continued use and abuse of alcohol by the patient. Other causes of cirrhosis (eg: Hepatitis B and C, metabolic or autoimmune cause) also need to be ruled out and an estimate of causality along with alcohol abuse should be determined.
History
The diagnosis of liver cirrhosis requires accurate history of alcohol abuse as to the amount as well as the duration of consumption.
Symptoms
Initially, the symptoms of liver cirrhosis are very non-specific:
- Right upper quadrant abdominal pain
- Fever
- Fatigue and weakness
- Loss of appetite
- Diarrhea
- Nausea and vomiting
- Weight loss
- Abdominal pain and bloating when fluid accumulates in the abdomen
- Itching
- Menstrual irregularities
Primary biliary cirrhosis presents with the following symptoms:
- Fatigue out of proportion to the severity of the disease
- Pruritis can be debilitating
- May be intermittent
- Increases in the evening
- May present in the last trimester of pregnancy and may be mis-diagnosed as cholestasis of pregnancy
- Pruritis that presents prior to the development of jaundice signifies worst prognosis
Primary sclerosing cholangitis may present with the following in addition to the above symptoms of cirrhosis:
- Fatigue
- Pruritis
- Does not correlate to the severity of the disease
- Steatorrhea
Cardiac cirrhosis will present with symptoms of congestive cardiac failure along with sensation of fullness and tenderness in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen.
Some patients may present with the complications of cirrhosis:
References