Cryptogenic cirrhosis is liver disease with no known cause, often affecting those over 60. Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) may be a cause, with symptoms including weight loss, fatigue, and weakness. Liver transplantation may not prevent further damage, and obesity and diabetes are common causes.
Cryptogenic cirrhosis is a type of liver disease for which there is no easily identifiable cause. While alcohol is often attributed to liver scarring, patients with this form of cirrhosis are not alcoholics and medical tests do not readily reveal the cause of liver scarring in these individuals. Although people with this type of liver disease do not consume alcohol to excess, the fibrosis found in liver tissue resembles that found in a person with alcoholic liver disease.
It is possible that another type of liver disease known as non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH), which is a buildup of fat in the liver, could lead to cryptogenic cirrhosis. Individuals with nonalcoholic steatohepatitis are not heavy drinkers, and some do not consume alcohol at all. In fact, some of the younger victims are children. NASH is often described as a slow and silent killer, as most people with it are unaware of its presence before being diagnosed with advanced scarring of the liver.
Cryptogenic cirrhosis is one of the most common reasons for a person to receive a liver transplant. For most people, when cirrhosis is detected in its early stages, there is a chance to stop the conditions leading to scarring and thereby save the liver. However, this is not necessarily the case for people who have been diagnosed with this type of cirrhosis, as the cause is not always found in time to correct the problem and prevent further damage. Also, even after liver transplantation, people with cirrhosis caused by NASH tend to develop liver scarring on the transplanted liver.
In theory, cryptogenic cirrhosis can affect people of any age, but studies indicate that it is most commonly discovered in individuals 60 years of age and older. In cases where cirrhosis has been caused by NASH, there also appears to be slow progression between the two conditions.
While the initial diagnosis may be inflammation and scarring from unidentified causes, medical professionals eventually find what is causing the liver to scar in some patients. Besides NASH, the most common causes of this condition are obesity and diabetes. In cases where cirrhosis was preceded by NASH, there is research indicating that NASH was actually caused by type 2 diabetes or obesity.
Some of the symptoms of this condition include fatigue, unintentional or unexplained weight loss, jaundice, fever, bloating, and bloody stools. Before cirrhosis, symptoms of NASH can include similar symptoms, such as unexplained weight loss, fatigue, and weakness. A thorough medical examination of people experiencing these symptoms is the only way to determine whether a person has both.
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