ABSTRACT
Cirrhosis is the irreversible, final common pathway of many chronic progressive liver diseases. The incidence of cirrhosis in Western countries is approximately 15 to 25 per 100,000 people (1). It is the 10th leading cause of all mortality, and in individuals aged 45 to 64 years it is the fifth leading cause of death. Finally, cirrhosis is implicated in approximately 30,000 deaths each year in the United States alone (2,3).
