liver and gallbladder disorders
Fibrosis of the Liver
Introduction
Fibrosis is the formation of an abnormally large amount of scar tissue in the liver. It occurs when the liver attempts to repair and replace damaged cells. Many conditions can damage the liver. Fibrosis itself causes no symptoms, but severe scarring can result in Cirrhosis of the Liver , which can cause symptoms. Doctors can often diagnose fibrosis and estimate its severity based on results of blood and imaging tests, but sometimes Biopsy of the Liver is required. Treatment involves correcting the underlying condition when possible. Fibrosis and Cirrhosis of the Liver are not specific disorders. Instead, they are the result of other causes of liver damage. Fibrosis develops when the liver is repeatedly or continuously damaged. After a single episode of injury, even if severe (as with Overview of Acute Viral Hepatitis ), the liver commonly repairs itself by making new liver cells and attaching them to the web of connective tissue (internal structure) that is left when liver cells die. However, if injury is repeated or continuous (as occurs in Scar tissue replaces the liver cells and, unlike liver cells, performs no function. Scar tissue can distort the liver's internal structure and interfere with blood flow to and in the liver, limiting the blood supply for the liver cells. Without enough blood, these cells die, and more scar tissue is formed. Also, blood pressure in the vein that carries blood from the intestine to the liver (portal vein) increases—a condition called Portal Hypertension . Fibrosis can sometimes be reversed if the cause is identified promptly and corrected. However, after months or years of repeated or continual damage, fibrosis becomes widespread and permanent. The scar tissue can form bands throughout the liver, destroying the liver’s internal structure and impairing the liver’s ability to regenerate itself and to function. Such severe scarring is called Cirrhosis of the Liver . 