In liver cirrhosis – colloquially called shrunken liver – (synonyms: cirrhosis hepatis; liver cirrhosis; liver cirrhosis; cirrhotic liver; ICD-10-GM K74.-: Fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver; ICD-10-GM K70.3: Alcoholic cirrhosis of the liver) is irreversible (non-reversible) damage to the liver and marked remodeling of liver tissue. It is the endpoint of many liver diseases, which are characterized by a slowly progressive (progressive) course over decades. There are many different causes of liver cirrhosis. The most common form in Europe is alcoholic cirrhosis.
Other forms of cirrhosis include:
- Posthepatitic/cryptogenic cirrhosis – occurs after a number of different chronic liver diseases (especially hepatitis B or C); however, in 10% of cases, the cause is unknown
- Biliary cirrhosis – results from narrowing or obstruction of the intrahepatic (located in the liver) bile ducts.
- Cardiac cirrhosis – caused by right heart failure (heart failure).
- Metabolic cirrhosis – due to various diseases affecting the metabolism, such as Wilson’s disease (copper storage disease).
- Genetic-related cirrhosis – due to hereditary diseases such as alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (→ chronic hepatitis/liver inflammation → liver cirrhosis).
- Toxic cirrhosis of the liver – caused by various drugs such as amiodarone (antiarrhythmic drug; drug for cardiac arrhythmias).
Sex ratio: males to females is 2: 1 (alcoholic cirrhosis). Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is more common in women.
The incidence (frequency of new cases) is approximately 250 cases per 100,000 population per year (in Europe and the USA).
Course and prognosis: The prognosis depends on the cause of the liver cirrhosis, the stage and the complications present. If the underlying disease can be treated well, this has a positive effect on the course. Thus, alcoholics who stop drinking have a good prognosis. With consistent abstinence from alcohol, regression (reversal) is even possible at an early stage of liver cirrhosis. Possible complications are mainly variceal hemorrhage (bleeding from the varices of the esophagus (food pipe); 30% of those affected), liver failure, and primary hepatocellular carcinoma (liver cancer).
The 5-year survival rate is 50%.
