A systematic review including 12 studies with a total of 1,895 subjects was abstracted in DARE. Physical signs such as ascites, jaundice, collateral circulation, spider angiomata, palmar erythema) generally had low sensitivity for the diagnosis of cirrhosis and, therefore, were not useful for excluding disease. Signs with higher specificity (such as ascites, encephalopathy, jaundice), which may be useful to confirm cirrhosis in those with moderate to high pre-test probability of disease, tended to be associated with clinically decompensated disease.
Comment: The quality of evidence is downgraded by indirectness (inclusion of highly selected patients).