Cirrhosis
Cirrhosis is long-term scarring of the liver that can change how the liver works and how blood flows through it.
When to get help quickly: Urgent review is important if there is vomiting blood, black stool, worsening confusion, fever, rapidly increasing abdominal swelling, or severe jaundice.
Common symptoms
People may develop tiredness, abdominal swelling, leg swelling, jaundice, itching, weight loss, easy bruising, or confusion, though early cirrhosis may cause very few symptoms.
When imaging helps
Imaging helps assess the shape of the liver, fluid buildup, enlarged veins, spleen size, and whether there are suspicious liver nodules or other complications.
What radiology does
Ultrasound, CT, and MRI can show a nodular liver, signs of portal hypertension, fluid buildup, or suspicious lesions requiring closer evaluation.
What usually happens next
Management focuses on the cause of liver damage, preventing complications, and monitoring for issues such as ascites, varices, or liver cancer.
Seen this on your report?
Your doctor or the radiologist who wrote it can tell you what it means for you.
Related scan guides
- TIPS (Transjugular Intrahepatic Portosystemic Shunt)A TIPS procedure builds a life-saving detour entirely inside the liver, relieving dangerously high portal blood pressure to stop variceal bleeding and treat refractory ascites in patients with cirrhosis.
- Liver BiopsyA liver biopsy uses image guidance to collect tissue for pathology, helping characterize liver disease while carrying bleeding risk and possible sampling limitations.
- MRCP ScanAn MRCP is an MRI scan designed to focus on the complex network of tubes carrying digestive fluids in your abdomen. It is very good for investigating unexplained jaundice, abdominal pain, or suspected gallstones.