What is cirrhosis characterized by?

Cirrhosis is primarily characterized by the scarring of liver tissue, which occurs as a result of long-term damage to the liver. This condition involves the replacement of healthy liver cells with scar tissue (fibrosis), leading to a decline in liver function. The scarred tissue disrupts the normal architecture of the liver, which can inhibit blood flow and reduce the liver's ability to perform its essential functions, such as detoxification, production of proteins, and regulation of metabolic processes.

While inflammation of the liver can be a driving factor leading to cirrhosis, it is not the defining characteristic of the disease itself. In fact, inflammation is often a precursor to the development of cirrhosis, resulting from conditions like chronic hepatitis or excessive alcohol use. Fatty infiltration of the liver, known as fatty liver disease, can also precede cirrhosis but is distinct from the fibrosis that characterizes cirrhosis. Similarly, excessive bile production is not a hallmark of cirrhosis and is typically associated with different liver or gallbladder conditions.

Thus, the defining feature of cirrhosis is the presence of significant scarring that alters the liver's structure and impairs its function.