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Causes
By Mayo Clinic staff
Acute liver failure occurs when liver cells are damaged significantly and no longer able to function. Acute liver failure has many potential causes, including:
- Acetaminophen overdose. Taking too much acetaminophen (Tylenol, others) is the most common cause of acute liver failure in the United States. Acute liver failure can occur if you take a very large dose of acetaminophen all at once, or it can occur if you take smaller doses every day for several days, especially in people with chronic liver disease.
- Prescription medications. Some prescription medications can cause acute liver failure, including antibiotics, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs and anticonvulsants, among others.
- Herbal supplements. Herbal drugs and supplements have been linked to acute liver failure, including kava, ephedra, skullcap and pennyroyal, among others.
- Hepatitis and other viruses. Hepatitis A, hepatitis B and hepatitis E can cause acute liver failure. Other viruses that can cause acute liver failure include Epstein-Barr virus, cytomegalovirus and herpes simplex virus.
- Toxins. Toxins that can cause acute liver failure include the poisonous wild mushroom Amanita phalloides, which is sometimes mistaken for other edible species.
- Autoimmune disease. Liver failure can be caused by autoimmune hepatitis — a disease in which your immune system attacks liver cells, causing inflammation and injury.
- Diseases of the veins in the liver. Vascular diseases that cause blockages to form in the veins of the liver can cause acute liver failure. These include portal vein thrombosis, Budd-Chiari syndrome and venoocclusive disease.
- Metabolic disease. Rare metabolic diseases, such as Wilson's disease, acute fatty liver of pregnancy and Reye's syndrome, infrequently cause acute liver failure.
- Cancer. Cancer that begins in your liver or cancer that spreads to your liver from other places in your body can cause your liver to fail.
Many cases of acute liver failure have no apparent cause.
References
- Polson J, et al. AASLD position paper: The management of acute liver failure. Hepatology. 2005;41:1179.
- Fontana RJ. Acute liver failure. In: Feldman M, et al. Sleisenger & Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease: Pathophysiology, Diagnosis, Management. 8th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Saunders Elsevier; 2006. http://www.mdconsult.com/das/book/body/135942637-3/0/1389/0.html. Accessed May 7, 2009.
- Fontana RJ. Acute liver failure including acetaminophen overdose. The Medical Clinics of North America. 2008;92:761.
- Liver health tips. American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases. http://www.aasld.org/yourliver/Pages/LiverHealthTips.aspx. Accessed May 7, 2009.
