Cerebral oedema in acute liver failure

Abstract

One of the most hazardous complications of acute liver failure (ALF) is raised intracranial pressure and the development of cerebral oedema. Until very recently it had been cited as the commonest mode of death, with an incidence of between 50 and 80% amongst those patients who progress to the deepest grades of coma, although that situation may now be changing. The purpose of this article is to discuss why failure of the liver leads to cerebral oedema and what treatment options are available.