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Complications
of Cirrhosis
http://www.hepatitis-central.com/Hepatitis C Virus/liver/complications.html
Many of the severe complications of
cirrhosis are secondary to portal
hypertension, since it leads to the
development of collateral flow from the portal
venous system to the systemic circulation.
Portal hypertension is associated with
splenomegaly and hence hypersplenism and the
development of collateral vessels lining the
esophagus and stomach, producing varices.
Esophageal varices and, less often, gastric
varices are particularly prone to bleeding,
which is often massive. Another complication
is hypoxemia with reduced arterial O2
saturation, secondary to intrapulmonary
shunting, ventilation-perfusion mismatch, and
a reduction in O2 diffusing
capacity. In addition, jaundice, ascites,
renal failure, and hepatic encephalopathy may
develop because of portal hypertension,
portal-systemic shunting, other circulatory
disturbances, and impaired hepatic metabolic
function. Lastly, hepatocellular carcinoma
frequently complicates the cirrhosis
associated with chronic hepatitis B (and
perhaps hepatitis C virus), hemochromatosis,
and long-standing glycogen storage disease.
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