Cardiac cirrhosis

Cardiac Cirrhosis
Synonyms	N/A
Pronounce	N/A
Specialty	N/A
Symptoms	Ascites, Jaundice, Hepatomegaly
Complications	Liver failure, Portal hypertension
Onset
Duration
Types	N/A
Causes	Congestive heart failure
Risks
Diagnosis	Liver biopsy, Imaging studies
Differential diagnosis	N/A
Prevention	N/A
Treatment	Management of heart failure, Diuretics, Liver transplantation
Medication	N/A
Prognosis
Frequency
Deaths	N/A

Cardiac cirrhosis is a form of liver damage that occurs as a result of prolonged congestive heart failure (CHF). It is characterized by liver fibrosis and impaired liver function due to chronic passive congestion of the liver.

Pathophysiology

Cardiac cirrhosis develops when there is long-standing right-sided heart failure or biventricular heart failure, leading to increased central venous pressure. This results in hepatic venous congestion, which causes hypoxia and subsequent liver cell necrosis. Over time, this chronic congestion and necrosis lead to fibrosis and cirrhosis of the liver.

The liver is particularly susceptible to damage from venous congestion because it receives a dual blood supply from the hepatic artery and the portal vein. When the heart is unable to pump effectively, blood backs up into the inferior vena cava and hepatic veins, causing congestion and increased pressure in the liver.

Clinical Features

Patients with cardiac cirrhosis may present with symptoms of both heart failure and liver dysfunction. Common symptoms include:

• Ascites: Accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity due to increased portal pressure and hypoalbuminemia.
• Jaundice: Yellowing of the skin and eyes due to impaired bilirubin metabolism.
• Hepatomegaly: Enlargement of the liver due to congestion and fibrosis.
• Peripheral edema: Swelling of the lower extremities due to fluid retention.

Diagnosis

The diagnosis of cardiac cirrhosis involves a combination of clinical evaluation, laboratory tests, and imaging studies. Key diagnostic steps include:

• Liver function tests: Elevated liver enzymes, particularly alanine aminotransferase (ALT) and aspartate aminotransferase (AST), may indicate liver damage.
• Imaging studies: Ultrasound or CT scan of the liver can show signs of cirrhosis and congestion.
• Liver biopsy: Histological examination can confirm the presence of fibrosis and necrosis typical of cardiac cirrhosis.

Management

The primary approach to managing cardiac cirrhosis is to treat the underlying heart failure. This may involve:

• Diuretics: To reduce fluid overload and relieve symptoms of congestion.
• ACE inhibitors or beta-blockers: To improve cardiac function and reduce venous pressure.
• Liver transplantation: In severe cases where liver function is significantly compromised, transplantation may be considered.

Prognosis

The prognosis of cardiac cirrhosis depends largely on the management of the underlying heart condition. If heart failure is effectively controlled, the progression of liver damage can be slowed or halted. However, if heart failure remains poorly managed, liver function may continue to deteriorate, leading to complications such as portal hypertension and liver failure.

See Also

• Cirrhosis
• Heart failure
• Portal hypertension

External Links

• [Link to relevant medical resources]

Cardiovascular disease A-Z

Most common cardiac diseases

• Cardiac arrhythmia‎
• Cardiogenetic disorders‎
• Cardiomegaly‎
• Cardiomyopathy‎
• Cardiopulmonary resuscitation‎
• Chronic rheumatic heart diseases‎
• Congenital heart defects‎
• Heart neoplasia‎
• Ischemic heart diseases‎
• Pericardial disorders
• Syndromes affecting the heart‎
• Valvular heart disease‎

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

A

• Accelerated idioventricular rhythm
• Acute decompensated heart failure
• Arteriosclerotic heart disease
• Athletic heart syndrome
• Atrial flutter
• Atrioventricular fistula
• Cardiovascular disease in Australia
• Autoimmune heart disease

B

• Brown atrophy of the heart

C

• Ebb Cade
• Cardiac allograft vasculopathy
• Cardiac amyloidosis
• Cardiac asthma
• Cardiac tamponade
• Cardiogenic shock
• Cardiogeriatrics
• Cardiorenal syndrome
• Cardiotoxicity
• Carditis
• Coronary artery aneurysm
• Coronary artery anomaly
• Coronary artery disease
• Spontaneous coronary artery dissection
• Coronary artery ectasia
• Coronary occlusion
• Coronary steal
• Coronary thrombosis
• Coronary vasospasm
• Cœur en sabot
• Coxsackievirus-induced cardiomyopathy

D

• Duke Treadmill Score
• Duroziez's disease

E

• Eisenmenger's syndrome
• Embryocardia
• Endocardial fibroelastosis
• Eosinophilic myocarditis

H

• Heart attack
• Heart failure
• Heart failure with preserved ejection fraction
• Heart to Heart (1949 film)
• High-output heart failure
• Hyperdynamic precordium

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

I

• Idiopathic giant-cell myocarditis
• Interventricular dyssynchrony
• Intraventricular dyssynchrony
• Isolated atrial amyloidosis

K

• Keshan disease

L

• Loeffler endocarditis

M

• Mydicar
• Myocardial bridge
• Myocardial disarray
• Myocardial rupture
• Myocardial scarring
• Myocardial stunning
• Myocarditis

N

• Nonbacterial thrombotic endocarditis

O

• OLR1
• Ostial disease

P

• Papillary fibroelastoma
• Pathophysiology of heart failure
• Postpericardiotomy syndrome
• Pulmonary vein stenosis

R

• Right axis deviation
• Roemheld syndrome

S

• Saturated fat and cardiovascular disease
• SCAR-Fc
• Shone's syndrome
• Strain pattern
• Subacute bacterial endocarditis
• Sudden cardiac death of athletes

A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | I | J | K | L | M | N | O | P | Q | R | S | T | U | V | W | X | Y | Z

T

• Traumatic cardiac arrest

V

• Ventricular aneurysm
• Vibroacoustic disease
• Viral cardiomyopathy

W

• Waon therapy