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Fulpminant hepatitis: causes, symptoms, diagnosis, treatment
Last reviewed: 23.04.2024
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[What causes fulminant hepatitis?
The cause of fulminant hepatitis is sometimes HBV, up to 50% of cases of fulminant hepatitis B occur with HDV co-infection. Fulminant hepatitis with HAV develops rarely, but is possible in people with concomitant liver damage. The role of HCV remains unclear.
Symptoms of fulminant hepatitis
The condition of patients deteriorates rapidly due to the development of portosystemic encephalopathy, which often passes into a coma for several hours or days, sometimes with brain edema. Bleeding usually occurs due to hepatic insufficiency or disseminated intravascular coagulation and functional renal failure (hepatorenal syndrome). Increased PV, portosystemic encephalopathy and especially renal failure are poor prognostic signs.
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Treatment of fulminant hepatitis
With careful care and intensive treatment of complications, the outcome may be more favorable. However, only emergency liver transplantation provides the best chance of recovery. Adult patients rarely survive without liver transplantation; children are more likely. Surviving patients, as a rule, recover completely.