Hepatic Encephalopathy Is Not Always due to Liver Cirrhosis

Hepatic encephalopathy (HE) is a frequent and debilitating complication of liver disease and is oftentimes associated with hyperammonaemia. However, hyperammonaemia may occur in underlying conditions other than acute or chronic liver failure and clinical awareness is needed in order to be recognized and treated properly. A 24-year-old woman presented herself to our emergency department with acute confusion and altered mental state due to severe hyperammonaemia. The patient was diagnosed in the age of 14 with ornithine transcarbamylase (OTC) deficiency and was incompliant regarding her diet and suggested medication to treat this disorder. She was treated with sodium benzoate 250 mg/kg i.v., sodium phenylbutyrate/sodium phenylacetate 250 mg/kg i.v., L-arginine 250 mg/kg i.v., and received continuous hemofiltration. Under simultaneous medical treatment and haemodialysis, ammonia levels dropped to normal within 24 h and symptomatic encephalopathy ceased completely. OTC deficiency is rare in adults, and the majority of patients are diagnosed in childhood. It can lead to death if not diagnosed and treated properly. Our case underlines the importance of considering causes of HE other than liver cirrhosis.

Standort
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
Umfang
Online-Ressource
Sprache
Englisch

Erschienen in
Hepatic Encephalopathy Is Not Always due to Liver Cirrhosis ; volume:16 ; number:2 ; year:2022 ; pages:313-319 ; extent:7
Case reports in gastroenterology ; 16, Heft 2 (2022), 313-319 (gesamt 7)

Urheber
Ecker, Miriam Eva
Paparoupa, Maria
Sostmann, Bernd
Weissenborn, Karin
Schuppert, Frank

DOI
10.1159/000524551
URN
urn:nbn:de:101:1-2022092200551778502852
Rechteinformation
Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
Letzte Aktualisierung
15.08.2025, 07:23 MESZ

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Beteiligte

  • Ecker, Miriam Eva
  • Paparoupa, Maria
  • Sostmann, Bernd
  • Weissenborn, Karin
  • Schuppert, Frank

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