Cirrhosis

Cirrhosis is the result of damage to the liver cellss from toxins, metabolic problems or other causes.

As the liver cells die they are replaced by fibrous tissue. Other liver cells regenerate in an abnormal manner, forming nodules surrounded by the fibrous tissue. Eventually the entire liver architecture can become abnormal, leading to decreased blood flow.

Early symptoms include red palms, spider angiomata (red spots on the upper body), hypertrophy of the parotid glands, and fibrosis of tendons in the hands.

As liver throughput decreases blood will concentrate in the spleen causing it to enlarge. From this the platelet count falls because of splenic sequestration leading to abnormal bleeding. Blood can also flow backwards causing gastric and esophageal varices and haemorrhoids.

If the damage is unchecked decreased bilirubin secretion produces to jaundice, there is immune system dysfunction, spontaneous bacterial peritonitis and kidney dysfunction and failure (hepatorenal syndrome). In advanced cases there can also be hepatic encephalopathy as toxic metabolites, normally removed from the blood, reach the brain.

Common causes of cirrhosis include alcoholic liver disease, chronic viral hepatitis (B, C and D), chronic bile duct diseases (such as primary biliary cirrhosis), inherited metabolic diseases (such as haemochromatosis or Wilson disease) and parasitic infections (like schistosomiasis).

Cirrhosis is irreversible but treatment of the causative disease will slow or even halt the damage.



In the News

Bernese Mountain Dogs Prone To Infection By Lyme Disease-related Bacte
Borrelia burgdorferi seem to be particularly successful at infecting Bernese Mountain Dogs, according to recent research. Swiss researchers found that more than half of the dogs they tested were infected with the spiral-shaped bacteria, which are passed on by ticks and can also cause Lyme disease in humans.

Is RIAA Delaying Stiletto 100?
As music industry lawyers apparently debate the finer points of the Sirius Stiletto 100, new details about the device's design continue to whet consumer interest -- despite the satellite radio company's removal of a promotional video. In Listening Post.

Wired Test 2007: Best of Test, Cine Sinners Beware of the Easy, Effici
With Vudu, just grab the remote, select a movie, agree to the rental fee (from $1 to $4, billed to your credit card), and without further ado you're watching it in HD!

Parental Conflict Can Affect School Performance
Children's experiences at home can have a direct impact on their performance at school, research at Cardiff University, UK has found. Recent findings from the South Wales Family Study suggest that the quality of relations between parents not only affects children's long-term emotional and behavioural development but also affects their long-term academic achievement.

Excessive Drinking, Not Alcoholism, May Lead To Most Alcohol-related P
Most people realize that too much alcohol can lead to multiple health problems, injuries and violence. Numerous statistics support the accuracy of this perception. Many people also assume that a substantial proportion of people who drink to excess are probably alcoholics. This may not be accurate. A recent study of the general population in New Mexico reveals that, in fact, most alcohol-related problems may be due to excessive drinking -- especially binge drinking -- among persons who are not alcoholics.

Decoded: Antikythera Mechanism
See in pictures how scientists deciphered the inner workings of mankind's earliest analog computer, a device devised by ancient Mediterranean clockmakers to plot the movements of heavenly bodies. In Gear Factor. By Rob Beschizza.

Wired Test 2007: The Best Gadget of All Time Revealed! You'll Never Gu
Despite poor picture quality and little market success, the CT-100 television developed in the 1950s tops Wired'sGreatest Gadget of All Time.

FDA, U.S. Defense Department Share Data To Enhance Medical Product Saf
Data from the U.S. Military Health System will soon help the U.S. Food and Drug Administration make decisions affecting the safety and use of FDA-regulated products for all Americans. The FDA, part of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Defense announced a partnership to share data and expertise related to the review and use of FDA-regulated drugs, biologics, and medical devices.

Could World of Warcraft Fight Disease?
In September 2005, about 4 million World of Warcraft gamers saw a new and unexpected challenge in the game. Players exploring a new area within the game encountered an extremely virulent, highly contagious disease, known as Corrupted Blood, which had been introduced in an update on the 13th of that month. The disease quickly spread, [...]

Heartburn Treatment May Increase Bile Reflux
A new study may explain why individuals treated for acid reflux with proton-pump inhibitors (PPI) still experience reflux symptoms.


MP3 Music Downloads

Preview songs, Download Free Music,Burn CDs at ITunes.com
iTunes_RGB_9mm

 


Google




InformationQuickFind.com - Find Information Fast

Links