Figure 2.

Liver fibrosis stages. Persistent liver damage, regardless of its various etiologies, leads to a progressive deposition of fibrous tissue and alteration of the normal liver parenchyma. The METAVIR fibrosis score classifies fibrosis into five possible stages: F0 = no fibrosis, F1 = portal fibrosis without septa, F2 = portal fibrosis with rare septa, F3 = numerous septa without cirrhosis, and F4 = cirrhosis. Ultimately, cirrhosis can progress to liver cancer. The progression of liver fibrosis can be interrupted or reversed with the elimination of the hit in the early stages F1 and F2, while the advanced stages are not easily reversible, in fact only proper therapies could revert the stage of disease. The only alternative for the patient’s recovery is a liver transplant.