Liver Disorders Dictionary

fibrosis: Scar tissue or growths that arise from injury, infection or inflammation.

hemoglobin: The oxygen carrying pigment in the blood. Some liver diseases cause low hemoglobin levels.

hepatitis: A viral or bacterial disease that causes liver damage due to inflammatory cells in the liver tissue. While acute hepatitis lasts less than six months, chronic hepatitis lasts for any period longer than six months. Hepatitis impairs liver function and can lead to death. Two of the most common forms of hepatitis include hepatitis B and hepatitis C.

hepatocellular carcinoma: Liver cancer that begins in the hepatocytes, liver cells. Liver cancer can also be caused by the spread of other types of cancer. Because liver cancer has elusive symptoms, it is generally diagnosed after it has progressed into its later stages. As a result, it is fatal in most cases.

Hepatologist: A doctor that specializes in treating various types of liver disease.

hepatomegaly: An enlargement of the liver that can often be felt from the outside of the body.

hepatoxicity: The medical term for liver damage.