Fibrosis can occur in many tissues within the body, typically as a result of inflammation or damage. Common sites of fibrosis include the lungs, liver, kidneys, brain, and heart:
Lungs •
Fibrothorax •
Pulmonary fibrosis •
Cystic fibrosis •
Idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (
idiopathic meaning 'of unknown cause') •
Radiation-induced lung injury (following radiation therapies commonly used to treat cancer)
Liver •
Bridging fibrosis – an advanced stage of liver fibrosis, seen in the progressive form of chronic liver diseases. The term
bridging refers to the formation of a "bridge" by a band of mature and thick fibrous tissue from the portal area to the central vein. This form of fibrosis leads to the formation of pseudolobules. Long-term exposure to
hepatotoxins, such as
thioacetamide,
carbon tetrachloride, and
diethylnitrosamine, has been shown to cause bridging fibrosis in experimental animal models. • Senescence of
hepatic stellate cells could prevent progression of liver fibrosis, although has not yet been implemented as a therapy due to risks associated with hepatic dysfunction. following a six-week course of
thioacetamide.
Sirius Red stain •
Cirrhosis Kidney •
CYR61 induction of
cellular senescence in the kidney has shown potential to limit renal fibrosis.
Brain •
Glial scar Heart Myocardial fibrosis has two forms: • Interstitial fibrosis, described in cases of congestive heart failure and hypertension, and as part of normal cellular aging. • Replacement fibrosis, indicating tissue damage from previous
myocardial infarction. •
Crohn's disease (intestine) •
Dupuytren's contracture (hands, fingers) •
Keloid (skin) •
Lipedema (fat cells, typically in lower limbs) •
Mediastinal fibrosis (soft tissue of the mediastinum) •
Myelofibrosis (bone marrow) • Myofibrosis (skeletal muscle) •
Peyronie's disease (penis) •
Nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (skin) •
Progressive massive fibrosis (lungs); a complication of
pneumoconiosis •
Retroperitoneal fibrosis (soft tissue of the retroperitoneum) •
Scleroderma/
systemic sclerosis (skin, lungs) • Some forms of
adhesive capsulitis (shoulder)
Fibrosis reversal Historically, fibrosis was considered an irreversible process. However, several recent studies have demonstrated reversal in liver and lung tissue, and in cases of renal, myocardial, and oral-submucosal fibrosis. == References ==