[The course of liver cirrhosis not preceded by viral hepatitis with p articular reference to toxic etiology].

The study was aimed at analysing the epidemiological structure of patients with liver cirrhosis without HBsAg treated in 1980-1988. There were 231 of such cases in this period of time. The most frequent cause of liver cirrhosis in patients under 60 years of life was chronic alcoholism whereas 40% of the diagnosed liver cirrhosis in older persons was of unclear etiology. Patients complaints, clinical examinations, and results of the laboratory tests were analysed. The course of the disease was more severe in alcohol-produced liver cirrhosis leading to the haemorrhage from esophageal varices in 36%, and coma in 8% of cases. Alcohol-produced liver cirrhosis promoted other complications such as: cancer of the liver, hepato-renal syndrome or encephalopathy. Liver cirrhosis of unclear etiology in the elderly may be a consequence of the prolonged exposition to environmental pollutants. More severe course of alcohol-produced liver cirrhosis may depend on simultaneous action of two harmful factors: alcohol and environmental pollutants.