What is cryptogenic liver disease?

Cryptogenic liver disease is the name doctors give to liver disease when the cause is unknown. You might also hear it called cryptogenic cirrhosis.

Doctors are usually able to work out what is causing someone’s liver condition. Some liver conditions are passed on in families. Others are caused by things from outside the body including alcohol, diet, and viruses.

A diagnosis of cryptogenic liver disease is usually given after lots of tests to rule out other conditions.

Find out more about tests for liver disease

Back to top

What are the possible causes of cryptogenic liver disease?

There is some evidence that cryptogenic liver disease can be linked to a condition called MASLD. In MASLD, fat builds up in the liver. Over time this can cause damage.

Find out more about MASLD.

But there are lots of other possible causes. These include:

• rare genetic and inherited conditions
• autoimmune conditions
• medicines, drugs and supplements
• damage to the blood supply to the liver

Back to top

The stages of cryptogenic liver disease

Most types of liver disease take a long time to develop. People often do not know there is a problem until it reaches a late stage.

The stages of cryptogenic liver disease are the same as most other liver conditions.

• something damages the liver, the damage usually happens over a long period of time
• in some cases, this causes fat to build up in the liver
• if the damage keeps happening, this causes inflammation in the liver (hepatitis)
• the inflammation causes scarring in the liver (Fibrosis)
• if the damage stops, a liver with hepatitis or fibrosis might be able to get better
• if the damage continues, it can cause serious liver disease (cirrhosis)

 Because the cause is not known in cryptogenic liver disease, it might be harder to stop the damage.

Find out more about the stages of liver disease

Find out more about cirrhosis and possible complications

If you have cirrhosis, you might get a score or classification. This is used to work out how much scarring there is.

Find out more about cirrhosis scoring systems

Back to top

Treatment for cryptogenic liver disease

How your cryptogenic liver disease is treated will depend on what stage it is at.

Treatment for cryptogenic liver disease at an early stage

If your condition is found early, you might be able to prevent or slow down further damage. Making some changes in your daily life can help. This could include:

• eating a healthy, balanced diet
• keeping to a healthy weight
• not drinking alcohol
• not smoking

Find out more about eating, drinking and keeping active.

Treatment for cryptogenic liver disease at a later stage

Treatment for cryptogenic cirrhosis will depend on:

• how much damage there is
• if you have any complications

This will be a bit different for everyone.

Find out more about treatments for cirrhosis

Back to top

Living with cryptogenic liver disease

Living with any kind of liver disease can be challenging. Not knowing what has caused your condition can make it even harder.

But there are things you can do:

Get information that you can trust

Your medical team are the best people to ask for personal advice. They will have your medical records and know about your tests.

Questions to ask your medical team about cryptogenic liver disease:

•  Do my tests give any suggestions about what might be causing my liver condition?
• What stage of liver damage do I have?
• Are there any other tests that could help figure out what is causing my condition?
• Can I be referred to a specialist hepatologist (liver doctor)?
• Who will be in charge of my care, and how can I contact them?
• What can I do to look after my liver?
• Are there any “red flag” emergency symptoms I should look out for? What do I do if they happen?

Many people also look for information online, and it can be hard to know what to trust. All Liver UK information is made alongside medical experts and patients. NHS websites are also a good source of information.

Get more tips on looking for health information online

Find out how we make our information

Look after your liver and yourself

Whatever might be causing your condition, looking after your liver can help to stop more damage.

Find out more about eating drinking and keeping active

Your mental health is also important. It is totally normal to need a bit of help with this when you have a condition without a clear diagnosis. We have some simple tips on our webpage and links to more support.

Looking after your mental health

Having a liver condition can impact every part of your life. We have information on everything from work and money to managing your healthcare.

Living with a liver condition

You can also find out about our support services using the link below.

Back to top