Cirrhosis of the liver is the final stage of damage in liver disease. Although cirrhosis is commonly associated with alcohol use, any liver disease, including hepatitis and diseases such as cystic fibrosis and primary biliary sclerosis, can cause cirrhosis. End-stage cirrhosis is classified as stage IV on liver biopsy; it means the liver is covered with scar tissue and has very little ability to function. End-stage cirrhosis has many symptoms and affects every part of the body.
Ascites
According to A. Schleyer, MD, of Harborview Medical Center, ascites is the most common symptom of end-stage liver disease, occurring in 80 percent of people with end-stage cirrhosis. Ascites is the accumulation of fluid in the abdomen, legs and feet; fluid can also accumulate in the chest cavity. Ascites interferes with breathing, increases the chance of kidney failure, causes loss of appetite and can become infected.
Jaundice
People with end-stage cirrhosis may have yellow skin or a yellow tinge to the whites of their eyes. Jaundice is more pronounced in people with cirrhosis who have obstruction of the bile duct, according to the Merck Manual. The accumulation of bilirubin in the skin gives them their yellow color. Breakdown of red blood cells that can't be properly removed by the damaged liver causes jaundice.
Symptoms
Varices are dilated blood vessels found in the esophagus, stomach and intestines of people with cirrhosis. If the varices become too distended, they burst, and large amounts of blood are lost either by vomiting or through the stool, which become black and tarry. Because people with cirrhosis also have a decreased ability to make clotting factors, which slow bleeding, gastrointestinal bleeds may be life threatening.
Central Nervous System Changes
People with cirrhosis often have encephalopathy, a type of brain damage caused by the buildup of toxins such as ammonia in the blood stream. Sleep disturbances, including day-night reversal; confusion; and as the disease progresses, coma, are common symptoms of central nervous system damage, according to P. Bonis, M.D., of Tufts University School of Medicine.
Other Symptoms
According to the Mayo Clinic, other symptoms of end-stage liver disease include nausea, fever, fatigue, appetite loss and anemia. Malnutrition, clubbing of the fingertips because of lack of oxygen and kidney failure may also occur, according to the Merck Manual. Men with end-stage disease may have atrophy, or shrinking, of the testicles and impotence.
