Which is more serious, liver failure or cirrhosis?

Written by Li Qiang
Intensive Care Unit
Updated on November 18, 2024
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Liver failure refers to a functional impairment of the liver, which could be acute or chronic damage. For instance, it could be the end stage of chronic liver disease, or an acute condition such as hepatitis, or another acute liver lesion. Other common lesions may also cause a sudden abnormality in liver function, resulting in severe liver dysfunction. At this point, liver cirrhosis is a common cause of liver failure. For example, in the middle and late stages of liver cirrhosis, liver function is completely decompensated, meaning the liver can no longer maintain its basic normal functions, leading to liver failure. Therefore, liver failure is one of the major consequences of liver cirrhosis, but the two are distinct. Liver failure can also be caused by other reasons not related to cirrhosis. For example, acute ischemia in the liver, such as in shock patients, can lead to liver ischemia and subsequently liver failure. Liver cirrhosis is just one of the common causes thereof.

Other Voices

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Written by Yang Chun Guang
Gastroenterology
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Is alcoholic cirrhosis ascites serious?

Once ascites caused by alcoholic liver cirrhosis is discovered, it indicates that the liver has reached the decompensated stage of cirrhosis, which is quite severe. Decompensated cirrhosis itself has a relatively low five-year and ten-year survival rate. Moreover, once the liver enters the decompensated stage, it is also prone to corresponding complications, such as gastrointestinal bleeding, hepatic encephalopathy, infections, etc. Therefore, when alcoholic liver cirrhosis presents with ascites, it is crucial to seek treatment at a formal hospital. The condition is quite serious and requires active treatment.

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Written by Shen Jiang Chao
Radiology
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Can cirrhosis be detected by a CT scan?

Cirrhosis can be detected by a CT scan. Early-stage cirrhosis has no specific diagnostic value on CT, but middle to late-stage cirrhosis typically manifests as wavy changes in the liver capsule, enlarged liver lobes, and disproportionate size of liver lobes, with most changes involving an enlargement of the left lobe and caudate lobe and a relative shrinkage of the right lobe. Additionally, secondary manifestations of cirrhosis, such as portal hypertension, can cause enlargement of the spleen and varices in the lower esophagus and stomach fundus. When cirrhosis is detected, it is advisable to perform an enhanced CT scan to determine the potential for malignant transformation in liver regenerative nodules.

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Written by Yang Chun Guang
Gastroenterology
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Is liver cirrhosis with ascites contagious?

Liver cirrhosis in the decompensated stage with ascites present is not inherently contagious. Whether the condition is infectious depends not on the severity of liver function, the degree of liver cirrhosis, or the gravity of ascites, but rather on the underlying cause of the liver cirrhosis. For example, liver cirrhosis caused by alcohol consumption is not contagious. However, if the liver cirrhosis is due to viral hepatitis, such as commonly seen with hepatitis B or C, the condition can be infectious. Therefore, the presence of ascites or liver cirrhosis itself is not an indicator of infectiousness; the crucial factor is whether there is an infectious virus present.

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Written by Huang Gang
Gastroenterology
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The difference between fatty liver and liver cirrhosis

Fatty liver is shown through ultrasound as having an increased and finely detailed echo in the liver, which is completely different from liver cirrhosis. Liver cirrhosis is generally caused by the progression of chronic hepatitis, commonly seen in hepatitis B-related cirrhosis, hepatitis C-related cirrhosis, and alcoholic cirrhosis. Cirrhosis resulting from drug-induced liver damage or from severe fatty liver is relatively rare in clinical practice. Therefore, we should not panic. Once diagnosed with fatty liver, it can be reversed through proper diet and reasonable exercise, and its progression to liver cirrhosis can be prevented. So, everyone, there is no need to rush or panic.

doctor image
home-news-image
Written by Li Qiang
Intensive Care Unit
1min 5sec home-news-image

Which is more serious, liver failure or cirrhosis?

Liver failure refers to a functional impairment of the liver, which could be acute or chronic damage. For instance, it could be the end stage of chronic liver disease, or an acute condition such as hepatitis, or another acute liver lesion. Other common lesions may also cause a sudden abnormality in liver function, resulting in severe liver dysfunction. At this point, liver cirrhosis is a common cause of liver failure. For example, in the middle and late stages of liver cirrhosis, liver function is completely decompensated, meaning the liver can no longer maintain its basic normal functions, leading to liver failure. Therefore, liver failure is one of the major consequences of liver cirrhosis, but the two are distinct. Liver failure can also be caused by other reasons not related to cirrhosis. For example, acute ischemia in the liver, such as in shock patients, can lead to liver ischemia and subsequently liver failure. Liver cirrhosis is just one of the common causes thereof.