| Laennec's cirrhosis | Alcoholic cirrhosis is a condition of irreversible liver disease due to the chronic inflammatory and toxic effects of ethanol on the liver. In cirrhosis, the liver cells are replaced by fibrous scar tissue. Fibrosis leads to the development of portal hypertension. The development of cirrhosis is directly related to the duration and quantity of alcohol consumption. The manifestations of cirrhosis are related to the liver's inability to not adequately remove waste products from the bloodstream and the effects of portal hypertension. (27 Sep 1997) |
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| Laennec's pearls | An obsolete term for small, round, translucent, tenacious bodies in the sputum of some persons with asthma; when floated in water, they become unfurled and are then recognizable as Curschmann's spirals. (05 Mar 2000) |
| Laennec, Rene | <person> French physician, 1781-1826. See: Laennec's cirrhosis, Laennec's pearls. (05 Mar 2000) |