Why Does Hepatic Encephalopathy Occur?

Hepatic encephalopathy is caused when toxins that are normally cleared from the body by the liver accumulate in the blood, eventually traveling to the brain. Many of the symptoms of hepatic encephalopathy are reversible when promptly detected and treated.

How does hepatic encephalopathy develop?

Hepatic encephalopathy starts when your liver gets damaged from a disease you've had a long time, like chronic hepatitis, Reye's syndrome, or cirrhosis. It doesn't work right anymore, and toxins get into your bloodstream and travel to your brain. They build up there and cause the mental and physical symptoms of HE.

Can hepatic encephalopathy occur without cirrhosis?

Hepatic encephalopathy is also described in patients without cirrhosis with either spontaneous or surgically created portosystemic shunts. The development of hepatic encephalopathy is explained, to some extent, by the effect of neurotoxic substances, which occurs in the setting of cirrhosis and portal hypertension.