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Home > Educational Resources > Liver Disease Info

Liver Disease Information Center

The Liver Disease Information Center provides comprehensive yet concise explanations of major liver diseases and related topics such as liver transplants. Each article in this section is accompanied by a Patient Toolkit to assist you in your search for more information.

  • The Progression of Liver Disease
    There are many different types of liver disease. But no matter what type you have, the damage to your liver is likely to progress in a similar way.
  • Alagille Syndrome
    Alagille syndrome is an inherited disorder that closely resembles other forms of liver disease seen in infants and young children.
  • Alcohol-Induced Liver Disease
    If you consume more alcohol than the liver can process, the resulting imbalance can injure the liver by interfering with its normal breakdown of protein, fats, and carbohydrates.
  • Alpha-1 Antitrypsin Deficiency
    Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency (Alpha-1) is a hereditary genetic disorder which may lead to the development of lung and/or liver disease.
  • Autoimmune Hepatitis
    Autoimmune hepatitis is a potentially life-threatening disease in which the body’s own immune system attacks the liver and causes it to become inflamed.
  • Benign Liver Tumors
    Noncancerous, or benign, liver tumors are common. They do not spread to other areas of the body, and they usually do not pose a serious health risk.
  • Biliary Atresia (BA)
    Biliary atresia is a disease that affects only infants, causing the bile ducts to become inflamed and blocked soon after birth.
  • Cirrhosis
    Cirrhosis refers to the replacement of normal liver tissue with non-living scar tissue. It is always related to other liver diseases.
  • Clinical Trials
  • Fatty Liver
    It is normal for your liver to contain some fat. But if fat accounts for more than 10% of your liver’s weight, then you have fatty liver and you may develop more serious complications.
  • Galactosemia
    Galactosemia is an inherited disorder that prevents a person from processing the sugar galactose, which is found in many foods.
  • Hemochromatosis
    Hemochromatosis is an inherited condition in which the body absorbs and stores too much iron. The extra iron builds up in several organs, especially the liver, and can cause serious damage.
  • Hepatitis A
    Hepatitis A is a viral infection of the liver caused by the hepatitis A virus, or HAV. It is not a long-lasting or chronic infection.
  • Hepatitis B
    Hepatitis B is a disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis B virus, or HBV. Chronic hepatitis B can lead to potentially fatal liver diseases such as cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer.
  • Hepatitis C
    Hepatitis C is a disease of the liver caused by the hepatitis C virus, or HCV. Chronic hepatitis C can lead to potentially fatal liver diseases such as cirrhosis, liver failure, and liver cancer.
  • Hepatocellular Carcinoma
    About primary cancer of the liver.
  • Liver Cancer
    Liver cancer refers to the growth of malignant tumors in liver tissue.
  • Liver Transplant
    A liver transplant is surgery to replace a diseased liver with a healthy liver.
  • Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC)
    Primary biliary cirrhosis, or PBC, is a chronic, or long-term, disease of the liver that slowly destroys the medium-sized bile ducts within the liver.
  • Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC)
    Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic, or long-term, disease that slowly damages the bile ducts inside and outside the liver.
  • Reye Syndrome
    Reye syndrome is a rare illness that affects all bodily organs but is most harmful to the brain and the liver. It occurs primarily among children who are recovering from a viral infection, such as chicken pox or the flu.
  • Type I Glycogen Storage Disease
    Type I glycogen storage disease (GSD I), also known as von Gierke’s disease, is an inherited disorder that affects the metabolism - the way the body breaks food down into energy.
  • Wilson Disease
    Wilson disease is an inherited condition that causes the body to retain excess copper. As the copper builds up in the liver, it begins to damage the organ.

Page updated: September 28th, 2007