Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsStages and CausesSymptomsDiagnosisTreatmentLiver TransplantPrognosis
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
Stages and Causes
Symptoms
Diagnosis
Treatment
Liver Transplant
Prognosis
Liverfibrosisis scarring of the liver. It has many causes, including alcohol-induced damage, infections, and diseases that harm the liver. Inflammation and injury of the liver can lead to scarring, with symptoms such as nausea, vomiting, fatigue, confusion, and enlargement of the abdomen.
Treatment for liver fibrosis may involve managing the underlying cause. There sometimes is a need for a liver transplant. When treatment is started at an early stage, these therapies can be effective and may reverse the damage and relieve symptoms.
Liver Fibrosis Formation
Liver fibrosis worsens over time, and the severity of damage is divided into stages. The symptoms might not develop until later stages, but diagnostic testing can often detect signs of early liver damage.
Stages
For most people, liver fibrosis is expected to worsen if it is not treated. Fibrosis progresses as more areas of the liver are injured and form scars.
The stages of liver fibrosis are:
Hepatitis and Cirrhosis Similarities and Differences
Causes and Risk Factors
Fibrosisdevelops due to inflammation and damage, leading to thickened fibrous and collagen scars as the body attempts to heal from the injury. Damage in different areas of the body can lead to fibrosis in those areas. Liver fibrosis is due to damage in the liver.
Common causes of liver fibrosis include:
Your liver cannot do its job if the cells are injured. Additionally, scar tissue interferes with blood flow throughout the liver.Both of these problems lead to the symptoms of liver fibrosis.
Is It Reversible?
Sometimes liver fibrosis is reversible if it is diagnosed and treated in an early stage. When liver disease advances to late stages, or when cirrhosis begins, the damage is often not reversible.
What Does the Liver Do?
Usually, liver fibrosis does not cause symptoms until significant liver damage has occurred.
Symptoms can include:
Complications of advanced liver fibrosis can include:
Testing to Diagnose Liver Fibrosis
Tests can detect decreased liver function and liver fibrosis.
Diagnostic tests for liver fibrosis include:
Treatment Based on Stage
If you have liver fibrosis, your treatment would be based on the stage, as well as the cause of your liver disease. Treatments for infectious causes may include antiviral medication, antibiotics, or antiparasitic therapy that’s targeted to the specific cause of your liver infection.
Sometimes, anti-inflammatory therapy may also be used to reduce inflammation that’s associated with the infection. Since anti-inflammatory medications can lower your immune system function, potentially worsening an infection, you would need close monitoring of your infection.
Additionally, certain complications, such as varices or ascites, may require intervention with surgical procedures.
What to Expect From a Liver Transplant
Liver Transplant Qualification
A liver transplant can be an option for some people who have liver disease. During this operation, you would have removal of cancer tissue from your liver, and you could have your whole liver removed. You would receive a healthy donor liver.This procedure is complicated and involves surgical connections between blood vessels, so your liver can have adequate blood flow.
You might qualify for a liver transplant if your healthcare providers anticipate that you would be able to survive the complicated procedure and that having a new liver would improve your chances of having a healthy life.
Prognosis and Symptom Management
The outcome of liver fibrosis can vary. With early treatment, you might have many years of survival. Your prognosis is dependent on several factors, including:
Summary
Liver fibrosis is scarring of the liver. Many, different liver infections and diseases can damage the liver, leading to inflammation and scarring. If you are diagnosed at an early stage with a treatable liver disease, treatment can help improve your outcome and can often be curative.
5 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Berumen J, Baglieri J, Kisseleva T, Mekeel K.Liver fibrosis: pathophysiology and clinical implications.WIREs Mech Dis.2021;13(1):e1499. doi:10.1002/wsbm.1499Axley P, Mudumbi S, Sarker S, Kuo YF, Singal AK.Patients with stage 3 compared to stage 4 liver fibrosis have lower frequency of and longer time to liver disease complications.PLoS One. 2018;13(5):e0197117. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0197117National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms and causes of NAFLD and NASH.Aydın MM, Akçalı KC.Liver fibrosis.Turk J Gastroenterol.2018;29(1):14-21. doi:10.5152/tjg.2018.17330National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.The liver transplant process.
5 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Berumen J, Baglieri J, Kisseleva T, Mekeel K.Liver fibrosis: pathophysiology and clinical implications.WIREs Mech Dis.2021;13(1):e1499. doi:10.1002/wsbm.1499Axley P, Mudumbi S, Sarker S, Kuo YF, Singal AK.Patients with stage 3 compared to stage 4 liver fibrosis have lower frequency of and longer time to liver disease complications.PLoS One. 2018;13(5):e0197117. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0197117National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms and causes of NAFLD and NASH.Aydın MM, Akçalı KC.Liver fibrosis.Turk J Gastroenterol.2018;29(1):14-21. doi:10.5152/tjg.2018.17330National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.The liver transplant process.
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Berumen J, Baglieri J, Kisseleva T, Mekeel K.Liver fibrosis: pathophysiology and clinical implications.WIREs Mech Dis.2021;13(1):e1499. doi:10.1002/wsbm.1499Axley P, Mudumbi S, Sarker S, Kuo YF, Singal AK.Patients with stage 3 compared to stage 4 liver fibrosis have lower frequency of and longer time to liver disease complications.PLoS One. 2018;13(5):e0197117. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0197117National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms and causes of NAFLD and NASH.Aydın MM, Akçalı KC.Liver fibrosis.Turk J Gastroenterol.2018;29(1):14-21. doi:10.5152/tjg.2018.17330National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.The liver transplant process.
Berumen J, Baglieri J, Kisseleva T, Mekeel K.Liver fibrosis: pathophysiology and clinical implications.WIREs Mech Dis.2021;13(1):e1499. doi:10.1002/wsbm.1499
Axley P, Mudumbi S, Sarker S, Kuo YF, Singal AK.Patients with stage 3 compared to stage 4 liver fibrosis have lower frequency of and longer time to liver disease complications.PLoS One. 2018;13(5):e0197117. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0197117
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Symptoms and causes of NAFLD and NASH.
Aydın MM, Akçalı KC.Liver fibrosis.Turk J Gastroenterol.2018;29(1):14-21. doi:10.5152/tjg.2018.17330
National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.The liver transplant process.
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
