肝硬化是一种长期，持续肝损害的疾病。随着肝硬化，肝脏的正常结构已被肝组织的岛屿岛取代，被疤痕组织的非功能带分离。据报道2. The most common causes of cirrhosis in the US are chronic hepatitis C infection and alcoholic liver disease. Several different systems are used to stage the severity of cirrhosis.四阶段系统基于肝硬化的特定并发症的存在或不存在。这些并发症由于肝功能失败和/或通过器官内广泛的疤痕引起的血液流过肝脏而发展。

Stage 1 Cirrhosis

第1阶段是肝硬化的最早阶段，其特征是没有两个称为静脉曲张和腹水的显着并发症。静脉曲张扩张，气囊静脉。They are most often located in the lining of the esophagus and/or stomach.Acsites refers to an accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity.Both varices and ascites develop primarily because of obstructed blood flow through the liver, a condition known as portal hypertension. While people with stage 1 cirrhosis have extensive liver scarring, it is not severe enough to cause substantial portal hypertension and its complications.

第1阶段肝硬化被认为​​是补偿肝硬化。这意味着，尽管受到了严重损害，但肝脏尚未如此严重疤痕，以至于已经出现了临床明显的肝衰竭迹象。患有第1期肝硬化的人通常不会出现许多症状，除了缺乏能量和疲劳。第1阶段肝硬化潜在可逆如果消除或治愈肝硬化的根本原因。

Stage 2 Cirrhosis

草药疗法暂停

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第2阶段肝硬化以食管静脉曲张的发展为标志，这是由于门户高血压恶化，但不存在腹水。尽管食管静脉曲张的发展表明肝硬化恶化和在接下来的12个月中死亡的风险增加，但第2期肝硬化仍被认为是补偿肝硬化。There remains the potential for at least partial reversal of liver damage如果the underlying cause of cirrhosis is eliminated or cured.

Stage 3 Cirrhosis

第3阶段肝硬化以腹水的发展为标志，有或不存在静脉曲张。腹水的体积从仅通过成像测试（例如腹部超声）检测到明显的腹部腹胀。由于肝功能的肝脏疤痕和恶化，腹水信号的发育导致门户高血压恶化。第3阶段肝硬化信号使肝硬化是代表性的，这意味着肝脏失败。Once decompensated cirrhosis develops, liver scarring is irreversible and evaluation for liver transplantation is generally recommended.A variety of signs and symptoms may be present with stage 3 cirrhosis, including:

• 苍白和/或淡黄皮
  
• 体重减轻和食欲不足
• shortness of breath
• 极度疲劳
• 持久，广泛的发痒
• swelling of the feet, ankles and lower legs
• wasting of the muscles of the arms and legs

第4阶段肝硬化

肝功能降低的症状

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The defining feature of stage 4 is gastrointestinal bleeding, usually from ruptured varices in the esophagus or stomach. This type of bleeding can be immediately life threatening if not controlled. Even if bleeding stops or is medically controlled, however, individuals with stage 4 cirrhosis still face a high risk of dying within 12 months. Persons with stage 4 cirrhosis have end-stage liver disease and urgent evaluation for possible liver transplantation is necessary. Signs and symptoms that might develop include those that may occur with stage 3 cirrhosis as well as others, such as:

• 混乱，个性改变和/或极端的嗜睡
  
• 手震颤
• 排尿减少，这可能表明肾衰竭
• high fever, signalling infection of the abdominal cavity

Reviewed and revised by: Tina M. St. John, M.D.