Cirrhosis - Cards (ver10)

Summary / Overview

Cirrhosis is a chronic diffuse liver disease characterized by fibrosis and regenerative nodules causing distortion of normal hepatic architecture.
It represents the end stage of many chronic liver injuries and leads to portal hypertension and hepatic insufficiency.
The liver becomes structurally irregular and functionally impaired.

Etiology

Pathogenesis

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Chronic alcohol use

Chronic viral hepatitis (especially hepatitis B and C)

Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease / steatohepatitis

Other causes:

• autoimmune hepatitis

• primary biliary cholangitis

• primary sclerosing cholangitis

• hemochromatosis

• Wilson disease

• alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency

• chronic biliary obstruction

• drugs and toxins

• chronic cardiac congestion in some cases

Repeated hepatocyte injury leads to inflammation and activation of hepatic stellate cells.

Activated stellate cells produce collagen, causing fibrosis.

Residual hepatocytes regenerate into nodules, but the new nodules are surrounded by fibrous septa and abnormal vascular channels.

Flow:

Chronic liver injury

↓

Hepatocyte death + inflammation

↓

Activation of stellate cells

↓

Collagen deposition / fibrosis

↓

Regenerative nodule formation

↓

Architectural distortion

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Portal hypertension + liver failure

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Thus cirrhosis is not merely fibrosis; it is fibrosis plus nodular regeneration plus vascular reorganization.

Cirrhosis is a chronic diffuse liver disease characterized by fibrosis and regenerative nodules causing distortion of normal hepatic architecture.

It represents the end stage of many chronic liver injuries and leads to portal hypertension and hepatic insufficiency.

The liver becomes structurally irregular and functionally impaired.