Which statement best describes cirrhosis?

• A. It is chronic liver disease where the parenchyma degenerates, lobes are covered in fibrous tissue, and lobules are infiltrated with fat; causes include EtOH, malnutrition, chronic hepatitis, nonspecific infections
• B. It is acute liver failure due to bile duct obstruction
• C. It is a viral infection that resolves quickly
• D. It is a reversible fatty change of the liver

Answer: (C)

Cirrhosis is a long-standing liver injury that leads to scarring and architectural change in the liver. Normal liver tissue gets replaced by fibrous tissue and regenerative nodules, which distorts blood flow and bile ducts and gradually impairs liver function. This is why cirrhosis is described as a chronic, irreversible process linked to ongoing damage from causes such as alcohol use, chronic viral hepatitis, or metabolic diseases.

The statement describing cirrhosis as a viral infection that resolves quickly isn’t accurate because cirrhosis is not an acute infection; it’s the end result of chronic injury over time. It isn’t simply an acute obstruction of bile flow causing liver failure, either. The idea of a reversible fatty change refers to simple steatosis, not to cirrhosis, which involves fibrosis and nodular regeneration and is typically not reversible.