ALCOHOLIC CIRRHOSIS

Alcoholic cirrhosis is an end-stage liver disease.Consumption of alcohol causes liver cells to die and scarring occurs throughout the liver. With continued scarring, the liver shrinks, becomes firm, and is no longer able to function. Cirrhosis is permanent, even if a person stops drinking.

ALPHA-1-ANTITRYPSIN DEFICIENCY

Alpha-1-Antitrypsin Deficiency originates in the liver and can lead to liver failure at any time in life. Currently, the only treatment for Alpha-1 is a liver transplant. 

BILIARY ATRESIA

Biliary atresia is a progressive inflammatory process that begins very soon after birth. In the most common form, called extrahepatic biliary atresia, the delicate ducts outside the liver are affected first. White blood cells invade the ducts, which become damaged and may whither or completely disappear. Bile is trapped inside the liver and rapidly causes damage and scarring to the liver cells. Further scarring of the liver tissue may result in cirrhosis.

BUDD-CHIARI SYNDROME

Budd-Chiari syndrome is a condition caused by obstruction of the blood flow out of the liver, most often by a blood clot. Budd-Chiari syndrome affects people of all ethnic backgrounds and affects men and women equally. ( Budd-Chiari syndrome is a rare disorder.)

CRYPTOGENIC CIRRHOSIS

Cryptogenic cirrhosis is a common cause of liver-related morbidity and mortality in the United States. Nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) is now recognized as the most common cause of cryptogenic cirrhosis. However, the diagnosis of cirrhosis in patients with NAFLD appears to be delayed compared with those with other chronic liver diseases and thus carries a higher mortality rate.

DRUG ENHANCED HEPATIC FAILURE

Drugs are a major cause of liver injury. More than 900 drugs, toxins,and herbs have been reported to cause liver injury. drugs account for 20-40 percent of all instances of fulminant hepatic failure.

FULMINANT HEPATIC FAILURE

Fulminant Hepatic Failure (FHF) or acute liver failure, happens when liver cells are injured and die. These liver cells are replaced by scar tissue instead of normal liver cells. This death of liver cells continues until there are not enough liver cells to do their job. The liver stops working all of a sudden and causes encephalopathy (n-seh-fuh-law-puh-thee), or brain disease within two to 12 weeks.

HEPATITIS B

Hepatitis B is the most common liver infection in the world. It is caused by the Hepatitis B virus that attacks the liver. The virus is transmitted through blood and infected bodily fluids. This can occur through blood-to-blood contact, unprotected sex, use of unsterile needles or from an infected woman to her newborn during the delivery process.

HEPATITIS C

Hepatitis C Virus (HCV) is the most common chronic bloodborne infection in the United States. HCV is transmitted primarily through direct exposure to blood through an opening in the skin or mucous membrane. The Hepatitis C Virus infects the liver, causing inflammation that can cause cirrhosis (scarring of the liver), liver cancer and liver failure. It is responsible for 10,000 - 12,000 deaths each year.

HEPATOCELLULAR CARCINOMA

Hepatocellular carcinoma involves a malignant tumor of the liver. Hepatocellular carcinoma accounts for 80 percent to 90 percent of all liver cancers. It occurs more often in men than women and occurs mostly in people 50 to 60 years old. The disease is more common in parts of Africa and Asia than in North or South America and Europe.

HEREDITARY HEMOCHROMATOSIS

Hereditary Hemochromatosis (HH), also known as iron overload disease or "genetic iron poisoning", is the most common genetic disease in the U.S.A. according to the U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC). One in 8 poeple are "silent carriers" of the single HH gene mutation and 1 in 100-200 have the double mutation putting them at high risk for developing HH. HH can affect men, women and children at any age. Most of the 33 million Americans who have the HH gene have not been diagnosed yet.

POLYCYSTIC LIVER DISEASE

Polycystic Liver Disease (PLD) is a disorder characterized by many cysts in the liver. Abdominal discomfort from swelling of the liver may occur; however, most affected individuals do not have any symptoms. In some cases, Polycystic Liver Disease appears to occur randomly, with no apparent cause. Other cases are thought to be inherited.

PRIMARY BILIARY CIRRHOSIS

Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic liver disease that slowly destroys the bile ducts within the liver (intrahepatic bile ducts). Liver inflammation over a period of years may cause scarring which leads to cirrhosis. PBC is an inherited disease.

PRIMARY SCLEROSING CHOLANGITIS (PSC)

Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a liver disease in which the bile ducts (small tubes through which bile flows from the liver to the gall bladder and intestines) progressively decrease in size due to inflammation and scarring. As a result, bile that is normally carried out of the liver accumulates within the liver, and damages liver cells.

VENO-OCCLUSIVE DISEASE

Veno-occlusive disease (VOD) of the liver is an uncommon complication following bone marrow transplantation (BMT).

WILSON'S DISEASE

Wilson’s disease is an inherited disorder in which excessive amounts of copper accumulate in the body. This rare disorder affects approximately one in 30,000 individuals regardless of race or ethnicity. Wilson’s disease is inherited as an autosomal recessive trait, which means that the affected individual must receive two copies of an abnormal gene for Wilson’s disease, one from each parent. The genetic defect in Wilson’s disease results in failure of the liver to rid the body of copper. The copper then builds up in the liver, the brain and other organs.