Liver failure is when the liver has shut down or isn’t working well enough to perform its functions. It is a life-threatening condition that warrants immediate medical attention. It can occur either suddenly (acute) or gradually (chronic).

Hepatitis is an inflammation of the liver that can be caused by several viruses, heavy use of alcohol, chemicals, drugs, certain genetic disorders, etc. In some cases, liver inflammation can be caused by an overactive immune system that mistakenly attacks the liver, known as autoimmune hepatitis. Hepatitis can be categorised into different types depending on its causes. Hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D, and E are the five main viruses that cause different forms of viral hepatitis, which is the most common type.

Hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) is the most common type of primary liver cancer. It occurs most often in people with chronic liver diseases such as cirrhosis that may be caused by hepatitis B or hepatitis C virus infection, alcohol abuse, autoimmune disease of the liver, etc.

Bile duct cancer, also known as cholangiocarcinoma, is a rare but aggressive type of cancer that develops in the bile ducts. The bile ducts are a network of tubes that connects the liver, gallbladder, and small intestine. Some diseases can block your bile ducts, affecting the flow of bile.

Liver metastases refer to cancerous tumours that have spread to the liver from another part of the body. Almost any cancer can spread to the liver, resulting in liver metastases, also known as secondary liver cancer. However, some of the most common cancers that spread to the liver are colorectal cancer, breast cancer, esophageal cancer, lung cancer, pancreatic cancer, stomach cancer, and melanoma cancer.

Biliary atresia is a rare condition commonly seen in infants. This congenital condition occurs when the bile ducts outside or inside the liver are scarred and blocked. When an infant has biliary atresia, bile flow to the small intestine is blocked. Hence, bile builds up in the liver and damages it.