Liver disease is damage to or disease of the liver.

• Acute liver failure, where there is appearance of severe comlications rapidly after the first signs of liver disease (e.g. jaundice), indicating the liver has sustained severe damage (loss of function of 85% of liver cells). It is caused by:
  • Paracetamol overdose
  • Drug reaction (e.g. tetracycline, troglitazone)
  • Severe alcoholic hepatitis (excessive alcohol consumption)
  • Viral hepatitis (hepatitis A or B, it is extremely uncommon in hepatitis C)
  • Acute fatty liver of pregnancy
  • Idiopathic
• Chronic liver disease (see page)
• Liver cancer