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Cirrhosis of the Liver - Medical Negligence

Cirrhosis of the liver involves scarring of the liver tissue as a result of various stressors on the liver. The liver slowly deteriorates until it ceases to work properly and is filled with scar tissue instead of healthy liver tissue. Blood flow through the liver is blocked and builds up in the abdomen in a condition called "ascites". The scar tissue interferes with the liver's ability to remove toxins from the blood, process hormones, drugs and nutrients from the blood stream or digestive tract, fight infection, produce bile that helps with the absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins and make blood clotting proteins.

Normally, the liver can regenerate sick or damaged cells; however, when the individual reaches the end stages, the liver can't regenerate itself. The liver cells die, replaced by scar tissue and connective tissue. Cirrhosis is the 12th leading cause of death and accounts for almost 30,000 deaths per year. More men get cirrhosis of the liver than do women.

There are numerous causes of cirrhosis of the liver. The most common causes of cirrhosis of the liver in the US include excess consumption of alcohol and chronic hepatitis C. Obesity is on the rise as well and this can cause cirrhosis, especially if in combination with another hepatic stressor. Cirrhosis is often multifactorial. It takes years of insults to the liver to cause cirrhosis to occur.

Alcohol use can cause liver cirrhosis after years of excessive use of the substance. Some people seem to get cirrhosis easily while others can drink alcohol excessively for years and not get cirrhosis. It takes two to four drinks daily for liver damage and cirrhosis to occur. Men can tolerate more alcohol than women but get cirrhosis more commonly.

Chronic hepatitis C damages the liver by infecting the liver cells. The liver becomes inflamed and then damaged by the virus causing the hepatitis and eventually the liver can't keep up and is scarred by the presence of the virus. Chronic hepatitis B and hepatitis D also can cause cirrhosis by the same mechanism. Hepatitis D only occurs as a secondary virus to those who have hepatitis B already.

There is a condition called nonalcoholic fatty liver disease. It happens when fat builds up in the liver to cause cirrhosis. Diseases like obesity, heart disease, protein malnutrition, diabetes and corticosteroid intake can cause cirrhosis to occur. Diseases like diabetes and obesity are increasingly common in the past few years.

Women are especially prone to autoimmune hepatitis. This is caused by the body's immune system fighting off its own cells, resulting in liver inflammation, liver damage and, finally, cirrhosis. About seventy percent of those who have autoimmune hepatitis are women.

Biliary diseases can contribute to the development of cirrhosis. Primary biliary cirrhosis is the most common type of biliary disease that can destroy the bile ducts and eventually the liver. Secondary biliary cirrhosis can happen when a surgeon accidentally ties off the common bile duct, leading to back up of bile and cirrhosis of the liver.

Cystic fibrosis, hemochromatosis and alpha 1 antitrypsin disease all can cause cirrhosis, along with Wilson disease, glycogen storage disease and galactosemia. These are all inherited conditions for which there is no cure. Cirrhosis can come from all of these conditions.

Prolonged exposure to toxic chemicals, drug reactions, parasites and heart failure in repeated numbers can cause the liver to be damaged and can result in cirrhosis. The toxins and drugs that cause cirrhosis can vary.

Symptoms of cirrhosis begin very mildly with no obvious symptoms. As the cirrhosis progresses, there can be symptoms of fatigue and weakness, nausea and vomiting, loss of appetite, loss of weight, bloating of the abdomen, which can be painful, itching and clusters of small spider-like blood vessels forming on the skin, particularly of the abdomen.

Those with cirrhosis can get swelling of their lower body and ascites of the abdomen. Bruising and bleeding are more common because the proteins necessary for blood clotting aren't made and esophageal varices or varicose veins of the esophagus, which can bleed profusely. The spleen can enlarge, sequestering white blood cells and red blood cells, worsening the risk of infection and anemia.

Jaundice or yellowing of the skin is common with cirrhosis. Gallstones can form in the gallbladder because the bile isn't free-flowing. Medications become difficult to tolerate because of an inability to process the medications in the liver. In severe cirrhosis, there is hepatic encephalopathy, which stems from a buildup of toxins in the brain, particularly ammonia. The brain doesn't function well and the individual can eventually go into a coma.

Type II diabetes can come out of an inability of the body to tolerate insulin and use it correctly. This causes an elevation of the blood sugar in the bloodstream. Liver cancer is another complication of cirrhosis of the liver. It is a particularly deadly form of cancer that comes out of the damage the liver sustains due to cirrhosis.