Hepatic fibrosis is a pathologic repair response of the liver and is most often seen in chronic injury to the liver.
During the evolution of chronic liver disease, regeneration of hepatocytes occurs after multiple injuries, and a variety of extracellular matrices are diffusely overdeposited and abnormally distributed among hepatocytes. Liver fibrosis is an important step that affects the prognosis of chronic liver disease and is an important step in the evolution of many chronic liver diseases to cirrhosis.
Further progression of hepatic fibrosis leads to structural disturbances within the liver, followed by nodular regeneration of hepatocytes and the formation of pseudolobular structures, i.e., cirrhosis.
Liver fibrosis is histologically reversible. Regular and effective treatment in the early stages of liver fibrosis can lead to reversal.
Patients with liver fibrosis should be seen promptly and treated as prescribed.