Introduction
Cirrhosis of the liver is a chronic and irreversible damage to liver tissue. It is a complex clinical picture that can be accompanied by various secondary diseases and life-threatening complications. Cirrhosis of the liver is typically caused by chronic diseases such as hepatitis, fatty liver or other changes in liver tissue.
The disease can present itself in very different ways, depending on the stage of the liver cirrhosis and the extent of the previous damage. An incipient cirrhosis is rarely accompanied by symptoms, since healthy liver tissue can sufficiently compensate for the important liver functions. Thus, the disease-typical changes and secondary diseases do not occur until a large part of the organ has undergone cirrhotic changes.
The most important functional systems of the body, which increasingly fail in cirrhosis of the liver, are the filtering function of toxic metabolic waste, the maintenance of blood clotting, and the production of vital proteins. The so-called “Child-Pugh-Classification” can be used to estimate the severity of liver cirrhosis. This includes 5 parameters to check the coagulation function, protein production and filter function, which can be determined by clinical examinations or blood values. Based on this classification, an individual score can be calculated, which allows a classification into 3 stages of liver cirrhosis. The stage “Child C” is colloquially referred to as the “final stage”.
This is the course of the final stage
The exact course of advanced liver cirrhosis is difficult to predict. Since many organ systems are life-threatened by cirrhosis of the liver during the course of the disease, the symptoms and complications can occur in very different parts of the body. For this reason, strict medical monitoring in the final stage is necessary, as life-threatening complications can occur at any time.
Typical problems that can manifest themselves in the final stage are severe infections due to a lowered immune system, but also life-threatening bleeding due to the dilation of various blood vessels of the gastrointestinal tract and reduced blood clotting. Neurological consequences can also occur due to the lack of filter function and the accumulation of toxic substances, leading to severe damage and coma. In addition to these typical organ areas, the kidneys or lungs can also be affected by cirrhosis of the liver, causing severe complications and even organ failure. In the long term, liver cirrhosis of the liver itself increases the risk of developing liver cancer.
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