When diagnosing liver disease, the physician looks at the patient s symptoms and conducts a physical examination. High levels of bilirubin may be attributed to inflammation or other abnormalities of the liver cells, or blockage of the bile ducts. Sometimes jaundice is caused by the breakdown of a large number of red blood cells, which can occur in newborns. Jaundice is usually the first sign, and sometimes the only sign, of liver disease.
Cholestasis is reduced or stopped bile flow.
Chole refers to bile and stasis means keeping at the same level. Bile flow may be blocked inside the liver, outside the liver, or in both places. There are usually no symptoms associated with a slightly enlarged liver. Portal hypertension is abnormally high blood pressure in the portal vein, which brings blood from the intestine to the liver. Portal hypertension may be due to increased blood pressure in the portal blood vessels or resistance to blood flow through the liver.