Cirrhosis is the end product of the long course of chronic liver disease, during which there have been either steady or recurrent episodes of parenchymal inflammation and necrosis.
Increased resistance to blood flow through the liver leads to portal hypertension. When portal hypertension becomes severe (generally defined as a hepatic venous pressure gradient of >10–12 mm Hg), chronic liver disease becomes a systemic illness, affecting other organ systems as well.