Most people with cirrhosis of the liver experience no symptoms in the early stages of the disease, because small amounts of scarring do not significantly affect the functioning of the liver. However, if the cause of the cirrhosis of the liver is not addressed, the disease can advance and create enough damage to the liver tissue to create symptoms.
Symptoms may include poor appetite, fatigue, weight loss, and weakness. As the disease develops, complications can occur with further symptoms, such as easy bruising, and a buildup of extra fluid in the legs, called edema, or abdomen, called ascites. Blood pressure can rise in the abdomen, resulting in portal hypertension, which causes the veins of the esophagus to swell. These bulging veins are called esophageal varices, and they can burst, leading to life-threatening hemorrhage.
The skin and whites of the eyes may turn yellow, a condition called jaundice. In addition, cirrhosis of the liver may leave the liver unable to filter toxins, which can affect the brain. This is called encephalopathy, and it can result in symptoms, such as confusion, personality changes, or poor cognitive functioning.
Complications of cirrhosis of the liver can also lead to frequent infections and liver failure and kidney failure, which can be fatal....more about Cirrhosis of the liver »
The list of signs and symptoms mentioned in various sources for Cirrhosis of the liver includes the 38 symptoms listed below:
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Copyright notice for book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.
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Clinical manifestations of cirrhosis and fibrosis are similar for all types, regardless of the cause. Early indications are vague, but usually include GI signs and symptoms (anorexia, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, constipation, or diarrhea) and a dull abdominal ache. Major and late signs and symptoms develop as a result of hepatic insufficiency and portal hypertension:
❑ Respiratory — pleural effusion and limited thoracic expansion due to abdominal ascites, interfering with efficient gas exchange and leading to hypoxia
❑ Central nervous system — progressive signs or symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy — lethargy, mental changes, slurred speech, asterixis (flapping tremor), peripheral neuritis, paranoia, hallucinations, extreme obtundation, and coma
❑ Hematologic — bleeding tendencies (nosebleeds, easy bruising, and bleeding gums) and anemia
❑ Endocrine — testicular atrophy, menstrual irregularities, gynecomastia, and loss of chest and axillary hair
❑ Skin — severe pruritus, extreme dryness, poor tissue turgor, abnormal pigmentation, spider angiomas, palmar erythema, and possibly jaundice
❑ Hepatic — jaundice, hepatomegaly, ascites, edema of the legs, hepatic encephalopathy, and hepatorenal syndrome comprise the other major effects of full-fledged cirrhosis
❑ Miscellaneous — musty breath, enlarged superficial abdominal veins, muscle atrophy, pain in the right upper abdominal quadrant that worsens when the patient sits up or leans forward, palpable liver or spleen, and temperature of 101° to 103° F (38.3° to 39.4° C). Bleeding from esophageal varices results from portal hypertension.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
Signs and symptoms of cirrhosis and fibrosis are similar for all types, regardless of cause. Early indications are insidious and vague but usually include weakness, fatigue, muscle cramps, weight loss, GI signs and symptoms (anorexia, indigestion, nausea, vomiting, constipation, diarrhea), and abdominal pain (which may be attributed to an enlarged liver).
Major and late signs and symptoms develop as a result of hepatic insufficiency and portal hypertension and include the following:
❑ respiratory — pleural effusion and limited thoracic expansion because of abdominal ascites, interfering with efficient gas exchange and leading to hypoxia
❑ central nervous system — progressive signs and symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy: lethargy, mental changes, slurred speech, asterixis (flapping tremor), peripheral neuritis, paranoia, hallucinations, extreme obtundation, and coma
❑ hematologic — bleeding tendencies (nosebleeds, easy bruising, bleeding gums), anemia, and hematemesis
❑ endocrine — testicular atrophy, menstrual irregularities, gynecomastia, loss of chest and axillary hair, loss of libido, and sterility
❑ skin — severe pruritus, extreme dryness, poor tissue turgor, abnormal pigmentation, spider nevi (on upper half of body), palmar erythema, jaundice, and peripheral edema
❑ hepatic — jaundice, hepatomegaly, ascites, edema of the legs, hepatic encephalopathy, and hepatorenal syndrome constitute the other major effects of full-fledged cirrhosis
❑ miscellaneous — musty breath, enlarged superficial abdominal veins, muscle atrophy, pain in the right upper abdominal quadrant that worsens when the patient sits up or leans forward, splenomegaly, and wasting appearance of chronic illness. Fever may be present and usually associated with portal hepatitis, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis, or cholangitis. Bleeding from esophageal and rectal varices results from portal hypertension.
Source: Handbook of Diseases, 2003
Source: The 5-Minute Pediatric Consult, 2008
Many people with cirrhosis have no symptoms in the early stages of the disease. However, as scar tissue replaces healthy cells, liver function starts to fail and a person may experience the following symptoms:
As the disease progresses, complications may develop. In some people, these may be the first signs of the disease. (Source: excerpt from Cirrhosis of the Liver: NIDDK)
These general reference articles may be of interest in relation to medical signs and symptoms of disease in general:
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The symptom information on this page attempts to provide a list of some possible signs and symptoms of Cirrhosis of the liver. This signs and symptoms information for Cirrhosis of the liver has been gathered from various sources, may not be fully accurate, and may not be the full list of Cirrhosis of the liver signs or Cirrhosis of the liver symptoms. Furthermore, signs and symptoms of Cirrhosis of the liver may vary on an individual basis for each patient. Only your doctor can provide adequate diagnosis of any signs or symptoms and whether they are indeed Cirrhosis of the liver symptoms.
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