What are the complications of late-stage liver cirrhosis?

Written by Si Li Li
Gastroenterology
Updated on November 08, 2024
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Late-stage cirrhosis can lead to many complications, such as bleeding from esophageal and gastric varices, which is one of the more common and severe complications of cirrhosis. Other complications include spontaneous peritonitis, liver cancer, hepatorenal syndrome, hepatic encephalopathy, portal vein thrombosis, and symptoms like ascites, palmar erythema, and spider angiomas. Additionally, there may be symptoms such as dark skin or hyperpigmentation and jaundice. Once cirrhosis is diagnosed, timely intervention and treatment are necessary to delay the progression of the disease.

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Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
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Does fatty liver occur in the early stages of cirrhosis?

Cirrhosis in its early stage does not necessarily involve fatty liver, as there are multiple causes for cirrhosis. Besides fatty liver causing steatohepatitis, which can lead to cirrhosis, other causes include viral hepatitis, drug-induced hepatitis, and autoimmune hepatitis, which can also lead to cirrhosis. Cirrhosis resulting from the above conditions will not involve fatty liver. However, if cirrhosis is caused by steatohepatitis, it is possible that fatty liver occurred in its early stage. Once fatty liver develops, proactive interventions are necessary, such as weight loss and medication, which might reverse fatty liver.

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Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
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What is the difference between the symptoms of cholecystitis and the symptoms of cirrhosis?

The symptoms of cholecystitis differ significantly from those of cirrhosis. The symptoms of cholecystitis mainly manifest as pain in the upper right abdomen, along with chills and fever, while the symptoms of cirrhosis primarily include fatigue, poor appetite, and may also present with jaundice, abdominal distension, and swelling of the lower limbs. To determine whether a patient has cholecystitis or cirrhosis, it is recommended to visit the gastroenterology department of a standard hospital as soon as possible for a comprehensive examination. This should include abdominal imaging, liver function tests, complete blood count, among others, to further clarify the diagnosis and adopt corresponding treatment measures.

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Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
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Does early-stage cirrhosis cause leg swelling?

Generally, in the early stages of cirrhosis, there is no swelling in the legs. However, if a patient with cirrhosis reaches the advanced stage and develops hypoalbuminemia, swelling in the feet can easily occur. At the same time, there is also the possibility of complications such as ascites, portal hypertensive gastropathy, and esophagogastric varices, among others. If swelling of the legs occurs in patients with cirrhosis, it indicates that the patient has entered the decompensated stage. At this point, it is necessary to go to the hospital as soon as possible to complete the relevant examinations to determine the cause of the cirrhosis, so that targeted treatment can be administered based on the cause as soon as possible.

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Written by Wu Hai Wu
Gastroenterology
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Is the pain obvious in the early stages of cirrhosis?

In the early stages of cirrhosis, the pain is not very obvious. Patients in the early stages of cirrhosis may experience vague discomfort in the upper right abdomen, while others may never experience pain at all. Those in the early stages may also have symptoms such as belching, fatigue, acid reflux, jaundice, and dark urine. Further comprehensive auxiliary examinations are needed, such as liver function tests and abdominal imaging studies. At the same time, it is important to identify the cause of early-stage cirrhosis in patients as soon as possible and adopt appropriate treatment measures based on different causes. For instance, if it is caused by alcohol, then treatment should involve abstaining from alcohol.

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Written by Zhang Jian Kang
Infectious Disease
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Can you have intercourse after hepatic cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B?

Liver cirrhosis caused by hepatitis B, if not treated with standard antiviral therapy, is very likely to test positive for the hepatitis B virus. HBV-DNA is a good indicator of the hepatitis B virus; if HBV-DNA tests positive, then it is contagious. The main transmission routes of hepatitis B include mother-to-child transmission, blood and body fluid transmission, and sexual transmission between spouses, though this route carries a relatively lower risk. Why is this the case? Firstly, the spouse may already have hepatitis B surface antibodies, which are protective antibodies providing immunity against hepatitis B. Secondly, when adults are infected with hepatitis B, most can acutely clear the virus, preventing the chronic manifestation of the disease.