Cirrhosis is a disorder of the liver in which the normal tissue is damaged and, over a long period of time, is replaced by nonfunctioning scar tissue, according to the National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, or NIDDK. Cirrhosis caused 27,000 deaths a year in the United States as of 2008, and it affects men slightly more than women. There are several different types of cirrhosis, which are named based on the cause of liver damage.
Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
Primary biliary cirrhosis, or PBC, is caused by an autoimmune disease that destroys the bile ducts inside the liver, according to the online medical library Merck Manuals. The inflammation caused by the autoimmune disease first causes fatty deposits in the liver, then cirrhosis. Though cirrhosis in general affects men more than women, this disease primarily affects women ages 35-70, who account for 95 percent of total PBC cases. Approximately 50 percent of people with primary biliary cirrhosis have no symptoms until cirrhosis of the liver reaches a state where the liver can no longer function normally. When the patients do experience symptoms, they often feel abdominal discomfort. These patients can have an enlarged liver, enlarged spleen, darkening of the skin, or jaundice.
Alcoholic Cirrhosis
The NIDDK reports that heavy drinking over a number of years is the cause of alcoholic cirrhosis. Alcohol directly damages the liver, ultimately resulting in the scarring characteristic of cirrhosis. Usually, women with liver cirrhosis have consumed a smaller amount of alcohol than men with the disease. The amount of alcohol and the time it takes to develop vary greatly from person to person. Alcoholic cirrhosis is a severe public health problem, and it causes more deaths than any other type of cirrhosis.
Chronic Viral Infection-Induced Cirrhosis
The National Liver Foundation reports that one virus, hepatitis C, is the second leading cause of cirrhosis in the United States. Other types of hepatitis virus, named hepatitis B and D, can also cause cirrhosis. Note, however, that infection with hepatitis D is quite rare in the United States. Like other types of cirrhosis, this type of cirrhosis only develops after chronic long-term infection with the hepatitis virus. Chronic infection leads to chronic inflammation of the liver. When inflammation lasts over several years, scar tissue replaces the normal liver tissue, and impedes the liver's ability to function.
