[Liver cirrhosis. Clinical and biological aspects]

The symptoms of cirrhosis are inconsistent and appear late in the course of the disease. Laboratory tests are also of variable value; generally speaking, cytolysis is observed infrequently. The gamma-GT test is the most sensitive in alcoholic cirrhosis, but may be more an expression of the degree of alcoholism than of the hepatic lesion per se. In cirrhosis, the best diagnostic method is a combination of laparoscopy and puncture biopsy. Endoscopy permits diagnosis not only of the hepatic lesion but also of the complications which may ensure, such as portal hypertension and ascites. Alcoholic abstinence appears to improve the prognosis of alcoholic cirrhosis. The prognosis in this condition may, in fact, be better than has been suspected.