Hepatic Encephalopathy: Causes, Tests, and Treatment Options

Hepatic encephalopathy, also called portosystemic encephalopathy, is a neuro-psychiatric disorder in patients with severe liver disease. When liver failure leads to a buildup of toxic substances in the blood, these toxic substances—that would normally be removed by the liver—reach the brain and cause confusion, drowsiness, personality changes, mood changes and disorientation.
In advanced stages hepatic encephalopathy can lead to coma (called hepatic coma or coma hepaticum) and may eventually...