How is cirrhosis diagnosed

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Get Permissions. Read the Issue. Sign Up Now. Complications and Treatment. Diagnosis and Evaluation. Sep 1, Issue. C 14 If clinical, laboratory, and radiographic data are inconclusive, but suspicion of cirrhosis remains, a diagnostic liver biopsy should be performed.

C 15 , 17 If serum transaminase levels are greater than twice the upper limit of normal or remain elevated for longer than six months, additional serologic studies should be performed to evaluate for various etiologies of cirrhosis. C 15 Abdominal ultrasonography is a specific, reliable, noninvasive, fast, and cost-effective test that should be used as a first-line radiographic study for diagnosing cirrhosis.

Figure 2. Inferior surface of liver and gallbladder gross revealing cirrhotic liver. Figure 3. Normal hepatic tissue microscopic, 10X, trichrome stain. Figure 4A. Cirrhosis microscopic, 10X, trichrome stain. Figure 4B. Primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis Diagnosis made via contrast cholangiography, can be supported clinically by positive antimitochondrial antibody primary biliary cirrhosis or antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibody primary sclerosing cholangitis in high titers.

Read the full article. Get immediate access, anytime, anywhere. Choose a single article, issue, or full-access subscription. Earn up to 6 CME credits per issue. Purchase Access: See My Options close. Best Value! To see the full article, log in or purchase access. More in Pubmed Citation Related Articles. Email Alerts Don't miss a single issue. Sign up for the free AFP email table of contents. The hepatitis C virus is usually spread in blood.

Common ways of spreading these viruses include having sex with an infected person without using a condom , or close contact with an infected person's blood, such as sharing their toothbrush or sharing needles to inject drugs. Vaccination for hepatitis B is part of the NHS childhood vaccination schedule. The vaccine is also available to anyone who has an increased chance of getting hepatitis B. To reduce your chance of getting non-alcoholic fatty liver disease NAFLD , which can lead to cirrhosis, make sure you're a healthy weight by eating a healthy, balanced diet and exercising regularly.

The liver is an important organ that does hundreds of jobs that are vital for sustaining life. Your liver is very tough.

It'll keep working even when it's damaged and can continue to repair itself until it's severely damaged. Page last reviewed: 29 June Next review due: 29 June Treatment may be able to stop cirrhosis from getting worse.

That raises the pressure in the portal vein. This is called portal hypertension. Enlarged blood vessels. Portal hypertension may cause abnormal blood vessels in the stomach called portal gastropathy and vascular ectasia or enlarged veins in the stomach and the food pipe or esophagus called varices.

These blood vessels are more likely to burst due to thin walls and higher pressure. If they burst, severe bleeding can happen. Seek medical attention right away. Fluid collecting in your belly. This can become infected. Kidney disease or failure Easy bruising and severe bleeding. This happens when the liver stops making proteins that are needed for your blood to clot. Type 2 diabetes. When you have cirrhosis, your body does not use insulin properly insulin resistance.

The pancreas tries to keep up with the need for insulin by making more, but blood sugar glucose builds up. This causes type 2 diabetes. Liver cancer Key points about cirrhosis Cirrhosis is when scar tissue replaces healthy liver tissue. The most common causes are hepatitis and other viruses, and alcohol abuse.

Other medical problems can also cause it. The goal of treatment is to slow down the buildup of scar tissue and prevent or treat any problems that happen. In severe cases, you may need a liver transplant. Next steps Tips to help you get the most from a visit to your healthcare provider: Know the reason for your visit and what you want to happen.

Before your visit, write down questions you want answered. Some scans may also measure the stiffness of the liver, which is a good indication of whether your liver is scarred. During a liver biopsy , a fine needle is inserted into your body usually between your ribs. A small sample of liver cells is taken and sent to a laboratory to be examined under a microscope. The biopsy is usually carried out under local anaesthetic , either as a day case or with an overnight stay in hospital.

Your liver tissue will be examined to determine the degree of scarring in the liver and the cause of the damage. During an endoscopy , the instrument is passed down your oesophagus the long tube that carries food from the throat to the stomach and into your stomach.

Pictures of your oesophagus and stomach are transmitted to an external screen.