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.
- Location
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Deutsche Nationalbibliothek Frankfurt am Main
- Extent
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Online-Ressource
- Language
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Englisch
- Bibliographic citation
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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)
- Creator
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Ecker, Miriam Eva
Paparoupa, Maria
Sostmann, Bernd
Weissenborn, Karin
Schuppert, Frank
- DOI
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10.1159/000524551
- URN
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urn:nbn:de:101:1-2022092200551778502852
- Rights
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Open Access; Der Zugriff auf das Objekt ist unbeschränkt möglich.
- Last update
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15.08.2025, 7:23 AM CEST
Data provider
Deutsche Nationalbibliothek. If you have any questions about the object, please contact the data provider.
Associated
- Ecker, Miriam Eva
- Paparoupa, Maria
- Sostmann, Bernd
- Weissenborn, Karin
- Schuppert, Frank
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Total area of spontaneous portosystemic shunts independently predicts hepatic encephalopathy and mortality in liver cirrhosis
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Impact of Hepatic Encephalopathy in Cirrhosis on Quality-of-Life Issues
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Mini-Mental State Examination in patients with hepatic encephalopathy and liver cirrhosis: a prospective, quantified electroencephalography study
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Establishment and validation of a prognosis nomogram for MIMIC-III patients with liver cirrhosis complicated with hepatic encephalopathy
Glucose Intolerance in Liver Cirrhosis: Role of Hepatic and Non-Hepatic Influences
Management of Hepatic Encephalopathy Associated with Advanced Liver Disease
Hepatic Encephalopathy in Cirrhosis: Pathology and Pathophysiology
Total area of spontaneous portosystemic shunts independently predicts hepatic encephalopathy and mortality in liver cirrhosis
Born Again: Recurrent Hepatic Encephalopathy in an Adult without Cirrhosis
Evaluation of IL-6 for stepwise diagnosis of minimal hepatic encephalopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis
Diabetes mellitus – risk factor and potential future target for hepatic encephalopathy in patients with liver cirrhosis?
Impact of Hepatic Encephalopathy in Cirrhosis on Quality-of-Life Issues
Clostridioides difficile Infection in Patients with Cirrhosis Treated for Hepatic Encephalopathy
Mini-Mental State Examination in patients with hepatic encephalopathy and liver cirrhosis: a prospective, quantified electroencephalography study
A patient with liver cirrhosis and hepatic lesions
Establishment and validation of a prognosis nomogram for MIMIC-III patients with liver cirrhosis complicated with hepatic encephalopathy
Glucose Intolerance in Liver Cirrhosis: Role of Hepatic and Non-Hepatic Influences