Comprehensive Report on Liver Cirrhosis: Causes, Diagnosis, Treatment

This report provides a comprehensive overview of liver cirrhosis, focusing on its causes, particularly the role of alcohol, and its effects on liver function. It begins by detailing the anatomy and normal functions of the liver, then explores how alcohol consumption leads to liver cirrhosis, categorizing the different stages of the disease and its associated symptoms. Diagnostic procedures such as CT scans, MRI, blood tests, liver endoscopy, and biopsy are discussed, followed by a review of treatment options aimed at managing the condition and mitigating its severe consequences, such as portal hypertension and liver cancer. The report concludes by summarizing key aspects of liver cirrhosis, emphasizing the importance of early diagnosis and lifestyle changes to prevent further liver damage. Desklib offers this and other solved assignments to aid students in their studies.

Running head: LIVER CIRRHOSIS
Liver cirrhosis
Name of the student:
Name of the university
Author note:

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Abstract:
The major purpose of the paper is to provide a clear understanding of the cause of
liver cirrhosis and contribution of alcohol in occurrence of liver cirrhosis. The paper provided
the incidents and statistics of occurrence of the liver cirrhosis with the assistance of the current
literature. The first part of paper has described the clear understanding of the anatomy of the
liver and normal function of the liver. The second part of the paper has described the effect of
alcohol in causing liver cirrhosis and categorised of liver cirrhosis . The second part also
includes the symptoms of the liver cirrhosis. The third part of the paper has described the
diagnosis procedures if the liver cirrhosis which include CT scan, MRI, blood test, liver
endoscopy and biopsy. The paper included treatment procedures for managing the liver
cirrhosis along with the severe consequences of the liver cirrhosis. Lastly, the paper provides a
concise conclusion in order to provide the summative overview of the liver cirrhosis.

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The cirrhotic liver; a woeful tale of liver dysfunction
Introduction:
The major purpose of the paper is to provide a clear understanding of the cause of
liver cirrhosis and contribution of alcohol in occurrence of liver cirrhosis. Liver cirrhosis
defined as the histological development of regenerative nodules, which is sounded by the
fibrous band because of chronic liver disease (Mokdad et al. 2014). The liver disease, which
is the end of the stage, constitutes the third most common most common premature death in
the United Kingdom. The recent population-based paper suggested 32% of the death is
related to the liver cirrhosis (Fjeld et al. 2016). Hospital-based studies suggested that the death
rate associated with the cirrhosis is approximately 65%. A paper Foster et al., (2016),
suggested that the overall standardized mortality rate for the cirrhosis in 1992 was 21.2%,
which increased in 2008 that is 40.8%. The estimated incident rate 23.4 and it increased in
2008 that is 35.9 per 100000 people (Seo et al. 2015). In 2013, 29 million people in the
United Kingdom reported chronic liver cirrhosis, which further gives rise to cancer.
Therefore, management and prevention of the liver cirrhosis are crucial for reducing the
global burden of disease (Seo et al. 2015). This paper will illustrate the anatomy and
functions of the liver, the effect o the alcohol and treatment in the following paragraphs
Anatomy and function of liver:
The liver is a major organ situated in the upper-right hand portion of the abdominal
cavity. The stomach lies beneath the liver and to the right lay kidneys and intestines. The
liver regulates chemical levels in the blood and excretes a substance called bile. Liver filters
blood from the stomach and intestines when blood passes through it, removing toxins and
creates the necessary nutrients needed for the body.

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The liver converts ammonia, a by-product of metabolism in the body, into urea. Urea is
released into the bloodstream and is transported to the kidneys. The kidneys function is to
excrete the urea from our body, which passes out as urine. Liver plays massive role in
breaking the alcohol, drugs and thereby detoxify organ by reducing potential harmful
substances. It also acts as a storage unit for essential vitamins and minerals. Vitamins such as
vitamin B12 , folic acid , iron required to make red blood cells and vitamin K needed to help
to clot blood properly are stored by the liver and passed onto the body when it requires its
building blocks.
The liver has over 500 vital functions. The major functions include -
- Bile production
- Absorbing and metabolizing bilirubin
- Fat metabolization
- Filters the blood
- Production of albumin
Liver plays a major role in creating a strong immune system that can fight against infection,
creates proteins responsible for blood clotting, breaks down old and damaged red blood
cells .Furthermore, it stores extra blood sugar as glycogen for providing energy.
The liver is a regenerative organ due to the ability to regrow rapidly. The most dynamic
aspect is that even while it is regenerating the liver continues to perform all of its functions.
The most important liver function is its production of bile. The liver produces bile that
consists mainly of bile salts, water and bilirubin. Bile is needed to emulsify fat for broken
down by digestive enzymes in the gut. It carries waste and breaks down fats in the small
intestine during digestion.

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However, liver can be infected by hepatitis, which further gives rise to cirhhosis. Even liver
having serious injury may give negative results for liver test with no abnormalities. A healthy
balanced diet will ensure the liver suffers no injury.
The liver usually repairs itself by rebuilding new liver cells when the old ones are damaged.
However, repeated damage resulted in permanent scars which is called cirrhosis.
What is Liver Cirrhosis
Heavy alcohol consumption over an extended period can result in Alcoholic hepatitis.
The heavy use of alcohol over a short period is results in rapid rise in blood alcohol
concentration causing ‘’drunkenness’’. The effect varies from individual to individual and
ranges from exhilaration to relaxation, memory loss, violent behaviour and nausea. In
extreme cases, excessive consumption of alcohol can lead to coma. Most alcohol users
unaware of the destruction of live by chemicals in alcohol.
Effect of alcohol on liver:
Alcohol hepatitis is a disease caused by the inflammation of the liver. When the liver
processes alcohol, it produces highly toxic chemicals that injure the liver cells. The extensive
use of ongoing alcohol results in cirrhosis, excessive bleeding or even liver failure.
Cirrhosis is an irreversible liver disease. Patients with cirrhosis develop ascites, jaundice and
their liver cells are replaced by fibrous tissue. Therefore, liver cells are destroyed by toxic
chemicals or a viral hepatitis or commonly by high alcohol consumption.

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Excessive alcohol consumption is potential risk factor of terminal liver cirrhosis. Alcoholic
liver damage is differentiated by three main stages:-
1) Steatosis – this is caused by excessive fat stored in the liver and mild alcohol
consumption. A healthy liver should contain little or no fat therefore excess fat in the
liver can cause damage.
2) Acute alcoholic hepatitis – this potentially serious condition is caused by alcohol
misuse over a long period. However, the condition can be improved by stopping the
consumption of alcohol permanently as soon as the patient is diagnosed with the
condition.
3) Cirrhosis – At this stage, the liver has become severely scarred and the damage is
irreversible. However, not consuming alcohol would prevent any further damage. At
this stage the constant consumption of alcohol, reduce the chance of living to 50%.
Diagnose and treatment:
Liver cirrhosis is the result of long-term, continuous damage to the liver and known as
fibrosis. The normal smooth liver tissue is replaced by hard irregular bumps (nodules) which
cause the liver to become harder. The combination of the nodules and the scarred tissues is
called cirrhosis. In early stage, liver cirrhosis does not show any symptoms therefore most
people are unaware of it until the condition is serious. First diagnosis was done by blood tests
to measure the liver function and damage. Liver function is tested by reviewing the efficiency
of removing creatinine, and, efficiency blood clots. These tests are excellent indicators of
liver function. The next stage of testing is imaging tests such as CT scans and MRI scans.
These scans show a detailed view of the internal organs to see the extent of damage. A liver
biopsy and endoscopy are the last two diagnostic methods, and both involve the visualization
method to inspect the damage.

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Cirrhosis is classified as compensated or decompensated. Compensated Cirrhosis is
where the liver copes with the damage and maintains its important functions. Decompensated
Cirrhosis is where the liver no longer can perform its functions properly which resultes in
serious symptoms and complications. There is no cure for cirrhosis and the best way to
prevent it is to diagnose and treat liver disease immediately. Consumption of alcohol must be
stopped immediately for any treatment to work. Complications of cirrhosis are including:
- High blood pressure in the veins known as portal hypertension
- Swelling in the legs and abdomen
- Enlargement of the spleen
- Infections – When you have cirrhosis your body my have difficulty fighting infections
- Malnutrition – Cirrhosis will make it difficult for the body to process nutrients,
leading to weakness and weight loss
- Jaundice
- Bone disease
- Increased risk of liver cancer
The list is non-exhaustive. Cirrhosis can weaken the body immensely and treatment can only
be provided to ease symptoms and prevent further damage to the liver. The existing damage
cannot be treated or cured.
Treatment include: -
- A low sodium diet and medication can be prescribed to prevent fluid build-up in the
body.
- Portal hypertension can be treated with blood pressure medication; perform upper
endoscopy need to be performed at regular intervals to look for enlarged veins in the
stomach region, which have potential of bleeding.

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- Patients with liver cirrhosis are at greater risk of getting liver cancer. The patient
therefore required to take blood tests and ultrasound exams every six months to look
for any signs of liver cancer.
Advanced cases if cirrhosis is when the liver ceases to function, in this case a liver transplant
may be the only treatment. A liver transplant will replace the damaged liver with a healthy
liver from a deceased donor or with part of a liver from a living donor. Further treatment
options for cirrhosis are still the focus of research and success is limited due to the severity of
cirrhosis and the complications that arise from it. The only viable treatment for patients with
liver damage is if it is diagnosed early. At this point lifestyle changes, increased screening
and medications may improve the condition and help the liver regenerate if the damage is not
extensive. Alcohol is harmful to the liver and must be consumed in moderate levels. In order
to prevent further damage, the consumption of the alcohol after diagnosis should be stopped
immediately.
Conclusion:
Thus, it can be concluded that the liver cirrhosis is a critical disease that destabilize the
normal life style by damaging the liver and associated organs. The liver is a essential organ
which regulate the chemical level of blood and detoxify it. The liver converts ammonia to
urea, which further transported to stomach and lastly excreted by liver. However, alcohol
consumption potentially affects the liver and result in Alcoholic hepatitis, which further give
rise to the cirrhosis. Liver cirrhosis is the result of long-term, continuous damage to the liver
and known as fibrosis. The complications are including Swelling in the legs and abdomen,
Jaundice, Bone disease. The diagnoses of the liver cirrhosis include blood test fur measuring
functions and damage, CT scans, MRI, liver biopsy and endoscopy for evaluating extent of

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damage. In order to prevent the disease low sodium diet, blood pressure medication and low
consumption of the alcohol can be followed.

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References:
Fjeld, K., Beer, S., Johnstone, M., Zimmer, C., Mössner, J., Ruffert, C., Krehan, M., Zapf, C.,
Njølstad, P.R., Johansson, S. and Bugert, P., 2016. Length of variable numbers of tandem
repeats in the carboxyl ester lipase (CEL) gene may confer susceptibility to alcoholic liver
cirrhosis but not alcoholic chronic pancreatitis. PloS one, 11(11), p.e0165567.
Foster, G.R., Irving, W.L., Cheung, M.C., Walker, A.J., Hudson, B.E., Verma, S.,
McLauchlan, J., Mutimer, D.J., Brown, A., Gelson, W.T. and MacDonald, D.C., 2016.
Impact of direct acting antiviral therapy in patients with chronic hepatitis C and
decompensated cirrhosis. Journal of hepatology, 64(6), pp.1224-1231.
Mokdad, A.A., Lopez, A.D., Shahraz, S., Lozano, R., Mokdad, A.H., Stanaway, J., Murray,
C.J. and Naghavi, M., 2014. Liver cirrhosis mortality in 187 countries between 1980 and
2010: a systematic analysis. BMC medicine, 12(1), p.145.
Seo, Y.S., Kim, M.Y., Kim, S.U., Hyun, B.S., Jang, J.Y., Lee, J.W., Lee, J.I., Suh, S.J., Park,
S.Y., Park, H. and Jung, E.U., 2015. Accuracy of transient elastography in assessing liver
fibrosis in chronic viral hepatitis: A multicentre, retrospective paper. Liver
International, 35(10), pp.2246-2255.