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Hepatic ischemia - Overview

Alternative Names

Ischemic hepatitis; Shock liver

Definition of Hepatic ischemia:

Hepatic ischemia is a condition in which the liver does not get enough blood or oxygen, causing injury to liver cells.

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Low blood pressure from any condition can lead to hepatic ischemia. Such conditions may include:

Abnormal heart rhythms
Dehydration
Heart failure
Infection
Severe bleeding

Other causes may include:

Large blood clots in the main artery to the liver (hepatic artery) after a transplant
Swelling of blood vessels (vasculitis)

Liver blood supply

Reviewed last on: 8/22/2008
Christian Stone, MD, Division of Gastroenterology, Washington University in St. Louis School of Medicine, St. Louis, MO. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Jain R, Thiele D. Gastrointestinal and Hepatic Manifestations of Systemic Diseases. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Sleisenger MH, eds. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2006:chap 34.

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