BCS can appear or ‘present’ as an acute condition which develops rapidly with the following symptoms:
- abdominal pain in the upper right hand side of your abdomen (referred to as the ‘upper right quadrant’)
- ascites
- an enlarged liver due to the build-up of blood (hepatomegaly)
- swelling of legs and ankles
- cramp in legs and feet
- itching
More commonly, BCS can develop in a chronic form, where people are likely to have long-standing ascites and an enlarged liver (hepatomegaly).
Very rarely, there is a fulminant form. This is a type of disease with a sudden and severe onset. In fulminant BCS, ascites, hepatomegaly and kidney failure can occur with rapid liver failure.
Ascites are present in the majority of people because of portal hypertension.