Liver disease
The term "liver disease" applies to many conditions that stop the liver from working or prevent it from functioning well. Abdominal pain or swelling, yellowing of the skin or eyes (jaundice), or abnormal results of liver function tests may suggest you have liver disease.
Related topics include:
- Alpha-1 anti-trypsin deficiency
- Amebic liver abscess
- Autoimmune hepatitis
- Biliary atresia
- Cirrhosis
- Coccidioidomycosis
- Delta virus (hepatitis D)
- Drug-induced cholestasis
- Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease
- Hemochromatosis
- Hepatitis A
- Hepatitis B
- Hepatitis C
- Hepatocellular carcinoma
- Liver disease due to alcohol
- Primary biliary cirrhosis
- Pyogenic liver abscess
- Reye syndrome
- Sclerosing cholangitis
- Wilson disease
A CT scan of the upper abdomen showing a fatty liver (steatosis of the liver). Note the liver enlargement and dark color compared with the spleen (gray body in lower right).
A CT scan of the upper abdomen showing disproportional steatosis (fattening) of the liver.
A chronic liver disease which causes damage to liver tissue, scarring of the liver (fibrosis; nodular regeneration), progressive decrease in liver function, excessive fluid in the abdomen (ascites), bleeding disorders (coagulopathy), increased pressure in the blood vessels (portal hypertension), and brain function disorders (hepatic encephalopathy). Excessive alcohol use is the leading cause of cirrhosis.
The liver serves a wide variety of body functions, including detoxifying blood and producing bile that aids in digestion.
References
Martin P. Approach to the patient with liver disease. In: Goldman L, Schafer AI, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 26th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2020:chap 137.
Williams MJ, Gordon-Walker TT. Hepatology. In: Penman ID, Ralston SH, Strachan MWJ, Hobson RP, eds. Davidson's Principles and Practice of Medicine. 24th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2023:chap 24.
Version Info
Last reviewed on: 5/4/2022
Reviewed by: Michael M. Phillips, MD, Emeritus Professor of Medicine, The George Washington University School of Medicine, Washington, DC. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
