Vnitr Lek 2009, 55(9):774-778

Liver cirrhosis and its treatment

J. Lata^*, T. Vaňásek, O. Stibůrek

Interní hepatogastroenterologická klinika Lékařské fakulty MU a FN Brno, pracoviště Bohunice, přednosta prof. MUDr. Jan Lata, CSc.

Cirrhosis is an end-stage liver disease. It is necessary to always search for the cause, attempt to initiate suitable causal treatment and assess the severity of hepatopathy by evaluating hepatic functional reserve (according to the Child-Pugh classification). It is necessary to continually monitor possible complications of cirrhosis, some can be prevented. Regular clinical and laboratory monitoring as well as ultrasound and endoscopic examinations are required. The paper discusses the treatment of the disease as well as its complications. Cure can only be achieved with a liver transplant; this option should be evaluated by a hepatologist in each patient with functional classification B or with serious complications of portal hypertension mentioned above. Treatment standards compiled by the Czech Society of Hepatology (http://www.ceska-hepatologie.cz) offer the basic algorithms of correct diagnosis and treatment.

Keywords: liver cirrhosis; portal hypertension; bleeding oesophageal varices; ascites; spontaneous bacterial peritonitis; hepatorenal syndrome; hepatocellular carcinoma

Received: July 16, 2009; Published: September 1, 2009  Show citation