Symptoms:

• Bleeding hemorrhoids
• Confusion
• Impotence and loss of interest in sex
• Jaundice
• Nausea and vomiting
• Small, red spider-like blood vessels on the skin
• Swelling of the legs
• Vomiting blood
• Weakness
• Weight loss

Other symptoms that may occur with this disease:

• Abdominal indigestion
• Abdominal pain
• Breast development in males (gynecomastia)
• Decreased urine output
• Fevers
• Nosebleed or bleeding gums
• Overall swelling
• Pale or clay colored stools

Symptoms may develop gradually, or there may be no symptoms.

Signs and tests:

During a physical examination the health care provider may find:

• An enlarged liver or spleen
• Excess breast tissue
• Excess fluid in the tissues lining the abdomen (ascites)
• Expanded (distended) abdomen
• Reddened palms
• Red spider-like blood vessels on the skin
• Smaller (contracted) fingers
• Small testicles in men
• Widened (dilated) veins in the abdomen wall
• Yellow eyes or skin (jaundice)

Tests can reveal liver problems including:

• Anemia (detected on a CBC)
• Coagulation abnormalities
• Elevated liver enzymes
• Elevated bilirubin
• Low serum albumin
• Enlarged liver (seen with an abdominal x-ray)

A liver biopsy confirms cirrhosis.

This disease may also affect the results of the following tests:

• Alpha-fetoprotein
• Cholesterol test
• Complement
• Renin
• Serum magnesium - test