Which of the following can result from severe liver cirrhosis?

Severe liver cirrhosis can lead to numerous complications, one of the most significant being portal hypertension. This condition arises due to the increased resistance to blood flow through the liver resulting from the extensive scarring and nodular transformation of liver tissue that characterizes cirrhosis. When portal hypertension occurs, it causes a backlog of blood in the portal venous system, which can lead to various complications, such as splenomegaly (enlarged spleen), variceal bleeding (due to enlarged veins in the esophagus or stomach), and ascites (accumulation of fluid in the abdominal cavity). Ongoing stress on the hepatic vasculature and increased pressure in the portal system highlight why portal hypertension is a key consequence of severe liver cirrhosis.

The other conditions listed may occur in various contexts but are not direct results of cirrhosis. For example, steatosis (fatty liver) can be a precursor or associated condition but is not a consequence of severe scarring. Cholelithiasis (gallstones) tends to be related to metabolic changes and factors independent of liver scarring, while hyperlipidemia is often connected with a range of disorders as well and isn't a direct