Diagnosis and epidemiology of cirrhosis.

Cirrhosis is defined histologically as an advanced form of progressive hepatic fibrosis with distortion of the hepatic architecture and regenerative nodule formation. It may be due to a variety of causes. It can be diagnosed incidentally on liver biopsy or hepatic imaging studies, or patients may present clinically with one or more features of hepatic failure. This article gives the reader a broad overview of the epidemiology, diagnosis, and natural history of cirrhosis; laying the foundation for subsequent articles, which will discuss the diagnosis and management of each of the specific cirrhosis-related complications.