Hepatic
The term hepatic relates to the liver and is usually used when the liver is damaged. The most common type of liver cancer is hepatocellular carcinoma. Hepatic (liver) failure may develop which is when the liver will eventually stop functioning. Liver failure is a serious condition and would require treatment immediately.
Hepatic encephalopathy may also arise and is a nervous system disorder which occurs from severe liver disease. In this case, the liver stops functioning properly and leads to the build-up of toxins, such as ammonia, in the blood. These toxins may travel to the brain where it can affect the brain function resulting in cognitive impairment. There are treatment options available to remove the toxins and reverse this problem. However as liver disease progresses, the condition of the patient may worsen and become less treatable.
Many people also develop hepatic encephalopathy of they suffer from liver cirrhosis, which is a build-up of scar tissue in the liver. This blocks the blood flow therefore affecting the function ability of the liver, such as filtering toxins, hormones and nutrients.
Patients suffering from hepatic encephalopathy may suffer from the following symptoms: confusion, asterixis, sleep problems, slurred speech, mood changes, anxiety or irritability and myoclonus.
There are three types of hepatic encephalopathy, type A being due to acute liver failure, Type B occurs in patients who have a shunt connecting two veins inside the liver and Type C results from chronic liver disease and scarring.
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