Liver Cirrhosis at 20x Magnification

The symptoms an individual with cirrhosis of the liver experiences vary greatly depending upon the extent the disease has advanced. In its earliest stages, cirrhosis may not be accompanied by any symptoms at all, so that the disease is not diagnosed until significant damage has already occurred. Some of the initial signs of such damage include fibrosis of the tendons in the hands, red palms, reddish spotting of the upper body known as spider angiomata, and itching related to an accumulation of bile in the blood. Other symptoms that may occur with cirrhosis advanced to various stages are jaundice, fluid retention (especially in the abdomen and legs), vomiting of blood, frequent infections, confusion, and memory problems. Eventually the disease can lead to coma or death.