Light micrograph of cirrhosis of a human liver. Cirrhosis is a liver dysfunction caused by the formation of scar tissue (fibrosis) due to damage caused by liver disease. It is most commonly caused by alcoholic liver disease, non-alcoholic steatosis or hepatitis. Microscopically, its main features are the presence of regenerating nodules of hepatocytes and of fibrosis, or the deposition of connective tissue septa between these nodules.