Disease or Syndrome
cirrhosis Audio
[ cir-rho-sis ]
Etymology:
Greek kirrhos = tawny yellow, and -osis = condition
Also called:
Hepatic fibrosis
Definitions related to cirrhosis:
  • A chronic disease of the liver that progressively destroys the liver's ability to aid in digestion and detoxification.
    Harvard Dictionary of Health Terms
    Harvard Medical Publishing, 2011
  • Cirrhosis is a late stage of hepatic fibrosis that has resulted in widespread distortion of normal hepatic architecture. Cirrhosis is characterized by regenerative nodules surrounded by dense fibrotic tissue. Symptoms may not develop for years and are often nonspecific (eg, anorexia, fatigue, weight loss). Late manifestations include...
    Merck Manuals
    Merck & Co., Inc., 2025
  • Cirrhosis is defined histologically as a diffuse hepatic process characterized by fibrosis and the conversion of normal liver architecture into structurally abnormal nodules. The progression of liver injury to cirrhosis may occur over weeks to years.
    Medscape
    WebMD, 2025
  • Cirrhosis is a late stage of scarring (fibrosis) of the liver caused by many forms of liver diseases and conditions, such as hepatitis and chronic alcoholism.
    Mayo Clinic
    Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 2025
  • Cirrhosis is a diffuse pathologic process, characterized by fibrosis and conversion of normal liver architecture to structurally abnormal nodules known as regenerative nodules. It can arise from a variety of causes and is the final stage of any chronic liver disease. It leads to portal hypertension, liver insufficiency, and hepatic...
    Epocrates
    Athenahealth, Inc., 2019
  • Cirrhosis, irreversible change in the normal liver tissue that results in the degeneration of functioning liver cells and their replacement with fibrous connective tissue. Cirrhosis can have a number of causes; the term is applied whenever the end result is scarring of the liver. Laennec, or...
    Encyclopedia Britannica
    Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc., 2025
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