Skip to main content
Log in

Fulminant hepatic failure due to transient circulatory failure in patients with chronic heart disease

  • Original Articles
  • Published:
Digestive Diseases and Sciences Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Heart failure is a recognized, although uncommon, cause of massive liver cell necrosis, the clinical consequences of which are intermingled with those of cardiac insufficiency in most cases. We report the cases of six patients suffering from chronic heart failure in whom an episode of acute circulatory failure resulted in massive liver cell necrosis and fulminant hepatic failure. The manifestations of fulminant hepatic failure, ie, hepatic encephalology, jaundice, and marked increase in prothrombin time, developed after an interval of one to three days, after the episode of acute circulatory failure, while the patients' hemodynamic condition had returned to the previous basal status.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Sherlock S: The liver in circulatory failure. Diseases of the Liver, L Schiff (ed). Philadelphia, JB Lippincott, 1975, pp 1033–1050

    Google Scholar 

  2. Larcan A, Lambert H, Rauber G, Laprevote-Heully MC, Delorme N: L'atteinte hépatique au cours des états de choc (“foie de choc”). Etude étioloqique, clinique, biologique et anatomopathologique d'une série de 89 cas. Gastroenterol Clin Biol 3:105–118, 1979

    Google Scholar 

  3. Rueff B, Benhamou JP: Acute hepatic necrosis and fulminant hepatic failure. Gut 14:805–815, 1973

    Google Scholar 

  4. Conn HO: Asterixis in non hepatic disorders. Am J Med 29:647–661, 1960

    Google Scholar 

  5. Eisenberg S, Madison L, Sensenbach W: Cerebral hemodynamic and metabolic studies in patients with congestive heart failure. II. Observations in confused subjects. Circulation 21:704–709, 1960

    Google Scholar 

  6. Case Records of the Massachusetts General Hospital: Case 44212. N Engl J Med 258:1058–1063, 1958

    Google Scholar 

  7. Logan RG, Mowry FM, Judge RD: Cardiac failure simulating viral hepatitis. Three cases with serum transaminase levels above 1000. Ann Intern Med 56:784–788, 1962

    Google Scholar 

  8. Case Records of the Massachusetts General Hospital: Case 23-1964. N Engl J Med 270:1005–1013, 1964

    Google Scholar 

  9. Case Records of the Massachusetts General Hospital: Case 32-1972. N Engl J Med 287:296–303, 1972

    Google Scholar 

  10. Drouin B, Derrida JP, Bouvrain Y: Foie cardiaque aigu simulant une hépatite virale. Coeur Med Interne 15:295–299, 1976

    Google Scholar 

  11. Kisloff B, Schaffer G: Fulminant hepatic failure secondary to congestive heart failure. Am J Dig Dis 21:895–900, 1976

    Google Scholar 

  12. Vo Huu Tri, Scheinmann N, Thomas M: Les insuffisances hépatiques suraiguës d'origine cardiaque. Ann Med Interne (Paris) 128:965–968, 1977

    Google Scholar 

  13. Kaymakcalan H, Dourdourekas D, Szanto PB, Steigmann F: Congestive heart failure as cause of fulminant hepatic failure. Am J Med 65:384–388, 1978

    Google Scholar 

  14. Benzing G III, Schubert W, Hug G, Kaplan S: Simultaneous hypoglycemia and acute congestive heart failure. Circulation 40:209–216, 1969

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Nouel, O., Henrion, J., Bernuau, J. et al. Fulminant hepatic failure due to transient circulatory failure in patients with chronic heart disease. Digest Dis Sci 25, 49–52 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01312732

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Revised:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01312732

Keywords

Navigation