Cirrhosis

CIRRHOSIS

The term "cirrhosis" was first used by René Laënnec (1781–1826) to describe the abnormal liver color of individuals with alcohol-induced liver disease. The word cirrhosis comes from the Greek word kirrhos, the name for a yellowish-brown color.

The human liver is the largest single organ in the body and consists of parenchymal cells, which metabolize, detoxify, synthesize, and store nutrients. Normal functioning of these cells depends on their proper organization. Cirrhosis, the final common pathway for a variety of liver diseases, occurs when excessive fibrosis results in the conversion of normal liver architecture into structurally abnormal nodules. Cirrhosis is irreversible and can be life threatening—it is a public health concern because of its associated mortality and morbidity. The only available and definitive treatment is liver transplantation. Cirrhosis is, however, preventable in most cases.

PREVALENCE

The exact prevalence of cirrhosis is unknown, but it has been estimated, through autopsies, to be between 5 and 10 percent. Incidence of cirrhosis varies by country and region, and reflects relative contributions from different risk factors. In countries where alcohol consumption is common, alcoholic cirrhosis is the major contributor to the overall prevalence of cirrhosis. In countries with low alcohol consumption, hepatotropic viruses (hepatitis B and C) are the major contributors.

An estimated 25,000 individuals in the United States died from liver disease in 1998, making liver disease the tenth leading cause of death. For individuals between 45 and 64 years of age, chronic liver disease had an associated mortality rate of 19.6 per 100,000 persons and was the seventh leading cause of death. The mortality rate for

Table 1

white men between 45 and 64 years of age was 28.2 per 100,000 persons, and cirrhosis was the fourth leading cause of death (in 1998).

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Author Info: SAMMY SAAB, SERGIO E. ROJTER, The Gale Group Inc., Macmillan Reference USA, New York, Gale Encyclopedia of Public Health, 2002

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