Resumen

MENGUAL, Edgardo et al. Etiology of liver cirrhosis in Venezuela. Gen [online]. 2025, vol.79, n.4, pp.174-181.  Epub 16-Oct-2025. ISSN 0016-3503.  https://doi.org/10.61155/gen.v79i4.786.

Liver cirrhosis (LC) is a major cause of mortality in Venezuela, a situation exacerbated by the suspension of the organ procurement program for liver transplants. The objective of this study was to identify the main causes of LC in the Venezuelan population. A multicenter, retrospective study was designed in which data from 888 LC patients from nine hospital centers were analyzed. The results revealed that Metabolic dysfunction-associated Steatotic Liver Disease (MASLD) is the most frequent etiology, with 304 cases (34.2%), a statistically significant finding (p<0.01). It is followed by: alcohol-related liver disease (ALD) with 199 cases (22.4%), autoimmune causes (autoimmune hepatitis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, primary biliary cirrhosis, and overlap syndrome) with 126 cases (14.1%), MetALD (MASLD and alcoholism) with 85 cases (9.6%), hepatitis B and C with 77 cases (8.7%), cryptogenic causes with 52 cases (5.9%), and other causes with 45 cases (5.1%). Significant differences were found by gender: men showed a higher prevalence of LC from ALD, while in women, LC from MASLD was more frequent. A crucial finding is that most patients (>50%) were diagnosed in decompensated stages (p<0.01). In conclusion, MASLD is the main cause of LC in Venezuela, with differences in prevalence by gender and age, and a diagnosis that is often made in advanced stages. These findings highlight the need to strengthen prevention and early diagnosis strategies for MASLD-related LC in the country.

Palabras clave : liver cirrhosis; etiology; Venezuela; ALD; MASLD; MetALD; hepatitis B and C; alcohol.

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