Complications of Cirrhosis
Symptom | Possible Cause |
|---|---|
Swelling of the abdomen | Ascites (accumulation of fluid within the abdomen) |
Abdominal discomfort, often with fever | Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis (infection of fluid that has accumulated within the abdomen) |
Calf pain or swelling | Deep vein thrombosis (blood clots in the veins of the legs) |
Confusion and drowsiness | Hepatic encephalopathy (deterioration of brain function due to buildup of toxic substances normally removed by the liver) |
Difficulty breathing | Hepatopulmonary syndrome (damage to the blood vessels in the lungs) Portopulmonary hypertension (high blood pressure in the lungs' arteries due to high blood pressure in the portal vein, which carries blood from the intestine to the liver) Pulmonary embolism (blockage of an artery in the lung, usually by a blood clot that has traveled from another location, such as the leg) Ascites (enough fluid accumulation in the abdomen to limit the function of the diaphragm, making breathing more difficult) Hepatic hydrothorax (fluid accumulation in the chest outside the lungs that prevents them from inflating fully) |
Fatigue and pale skin | Liver cancer (can also cause weight loss) Anemia due to any of the following:
|
Reduced urination and difficulty breathing | Hepatorenal syndrome (kidney failure due to liver failure) |
Fractures, often due to slight trauma such as a minor fall | Osteoporosis, caused in part by falls, caused in part by loss of muscle tissue (sarcopenia) |
Symptoms of infection | Leukopenia (reduced number of white blood cells) |
Jaundice (yellowish discoloration of the skin and whites of the eyes) | Impaired processing of bilirubin (a waste product formed when old or damaged red blood cells are broken down) |
Easy bruising or a tendency to bleed easily A reddish purple rash of tiny dots or larger splotches, which indicate bleeding in the skin | An enlarged spleen, which traps platelets (needed to help blood clot) Chronic excessive alcohol use, which can interfere with the production of platelets A deficiency of vitamin K Reduced production of clotting factors (proteins that help blood clot) by the damaged liver |
Itching (pruritis) and small yellow deposits of fat in the skin or eyelids (jaundice) | Impaired processing of bile |
Rectal bleeding | Varicose veins in the rectum (rectal varices) |
An enlarged spleen (splenomegaly) | Portal hypertension (high blood pressure in the vein that carries blood to the liver) |
Light-colored, soft, bulky, oily-looking, and unusually foul-smelling stools (steatorrhea) | Impaired absorption of fats |
Vomiting of blood | Bleeding of varicose veins at the lower end of the esophagus (esophageal varices) or in the stomach (gastric varices) due to portal hypertension |