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Cirrhosis /sɪˈroʊsɪs/ is a condition in which the liver does not function properly due to long term damage. Typically the disease comes on slowly over years. Early on there is often no symptoms. As the disease worsens a person may become tired, weak, itchy, swell in the lower legs, develop yellow skin, bruise easily, have fluid build up in the abdomen, or develop spider-like blood vessels on the skin. The fluid build up in the abdomen may becomespontaneously infection. Other complications include hepatic encephalopathy, bleeding fromdilated esophageal veins, and liver cancer. Hepatic encephalopathy results in confusion and possibly unconsciousness.[1]
’’’肝硬化’’’（{{lang|en|Cirrhosis}}）指的是[[肝臟]]因長期受到傷害，導致最後無法正常運作。肝硬化是漫長的過程，在早期通常沒有症狀，隨著疾病的惡化，患者可能開始感到容易疲倦、虛弱、[[下肢水腫]]、[[黃疸|皮膚泛黃]]、容易瘀青、產生[[腹水]]、或是在皮膚上見到{{link-en|蜘蛛狀血管瘤|Spider angioma|如蜘蛛般延展的血管}}等等。腹水一旦發生就可能發生自發性的[[腹膜炎]]。其他與肝硬化相關的疾病與症狀還有{{link-en|肝性腦病變|Hepatic encephalopathy}}、由於{{link-en|食道靜脈曲張|Esophageal varices|曲張的食道靜脈}}破裂而造成的吐血、以及[[肝癌]]等。肝腦病變會造成患者意識混亂甚至陷入{{link-en|無意識|Unconsciousness|昏迷}}[1]。
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Cirrhosis is most commonly caused by alcohol,hepatitis B, hepatitis C, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease.[2][1] Typically more than two or three drinks per day over a number of years is required for cirrhosis to occur. Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease is due to a number of reasons including being overweight, diabetes, high blood fats, and high blood pressure. A number of less common causes include autoimmune hepatitis, primary biliary cirrhosis,hemochromatosis, certain medications, and gallstones. Cirrhosis is characterized by replacement of normal liver tissue by scar tissue. These changes lead to loss of liver function. Diagnosis is based on blood testing, medical imaging, and liver biopsy.[1]
肝硬化最常見的原因包括[[酒精]]、[[B型肝炎]]、[[C型肝炎]]、以及{{link-en|非酒精性脂肪性肝病|Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease}}等[2][1]。一般而言，連續數年每天飲用多於2-3杯酒就可能會造成肝硬化，而非酒精性脂肪肝病則有許多原因，包括：[[超重|體重過重]]、[[糖尿病]]、[[高血脂症]]與[[高血壓]]。其他較不常見造成肝硬化的原因還有{{le|自體免疫性肝炎|Autoimmune hepatitis}}、{{le|原發性膽汁性肝硬化|Primary biliary cirrhosis}}、[[血色沉著病]]、藥物影響與[[膽結石]]。病理上，肝硬化的病人的肝臟[[組織 (生物學)|組織]]會被[[纖維化|疤痕組織]]取代而無法正常工作，造成肝功能的喪失。肝硬化的診斷需要抽血檢驗、[[醫學影像|影像學]]檢查或肝臟切片檢查[1]。
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Some causes of cirrhosis such as hepatitis B can be prevented by vaccination. Treatment partly depends on the underlying cause. The goal is often to prevent worsening and complications. Avoiding alcohol is recommended. Hepatitis B and C may be treatable withantiviral medications. Autoimmune hepatitis may be treated with steroid medications.Ursodiol may be useful if disease is due to blockage of the bile ducts. Other medications maybe useful for complications such as swelling, hepatic encephalopathy, and dilated esophageal veins. In severe cirrhosis a liver transplant maybe an option.[1]
部分肝硬化病因如[[B型肝炎]]等，可以靠[[疫苗接種]]預防。肝硬化的治療依其原因而不同，但其治療目標大多是減緩疾病惡化的速度，並減少併發症的發生。一般會建議肝硬化病人戒酒，而B型或C型肝炎患者可以使用[[抗病毒藥物]]治療。自體免疫性肝炎可以用[[類固醇]]治療。{{le|膽烷酸|ursodiol}}可能對[[膽管]]阻塞造成的肝硬化有幫助。藥物治療也對肝硬化的常見併發症，如水腫、肝腦病變、食道靜脈曲張等有幫助。嚴重的肝硬化病人可能可以接受{{link-en|肝臟移植|Liver transplantation}}[1]。
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Cirrhosis resulted in 1.2 million deaths in 2013 up from 0.8 million deaths in 1990.[2] Of these alcohol caused 384,000, hepatitis C caused 358,000, and hepatitis B caused 317,000.[2] In the United States more men die of cirrhosis than women.[1] The first known description of the condition is by Hippocrates in the 5th century BCE.[3] The word cirrhosis is from Greek: κίρρωσις; neologism from kirrhos κιρρός "yellowish" and the suffix -osis (-ωσις) meaning "condition".[4][5][6]
肝硬化每年造成的死亡人數，自1990年的80萬人攀升到2013年的120萬人[2]，120萬人當中有38.4萬人是由於酒精造成、35.8萬人是由於患有C型肝炎，而B型肝炎則造成了31.7萬人喪生[2]。在美國死於肝硬化的男性多於女性[1]。最早關於肝硬化的可考證記載，是由[[希波克拉底]]於前5世紀所記載。肝硬化為一種[[新詞]]，其字源由希臘文的「黃色（{{lang|gr|κιρρός}}）」與「狀況（{{lang|gr|-ωσις}}）」組成。[4][5][6]