Hepatic encephalopathy associated with cancer or anticancer therapy

Hepatic encephalopathy is an uncommon cause of neurologic deterioration associated with hyperammonemia, which results from hepatic dysfunction or altered ammonia metabolism. Often overlooked, hyperammonemia may occur via any of several pathophysiological processes, and in the setting of malignancy,...

Full description

Saved in:
Bibliographic Details
Published in:Gastrointestinal cancer research 2013-01, Vol.6 (1), p.11-16
Main Authors: Willson, Kaspar J, Nott, Louise M, Broadbridge, Vy T, Price, Timothy
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
Review
Online Access:Get full text
Tags: Add Tag
No Tags, Be the first to tag this record!
Description
Summary:Hepatic encephalopathy is an uncommon cause of neurologic deterioration associated with hyperammonemia, which results from hepatic dysfunction or altered ammonia metabolism. Often overlooked, hyperammonemia may occur via any of several pathophysiological processes, and in the setting of malignancy, it is a potentially reversible cause of confusion and coma. Hepatic dysfunction as a result of malignant infiltration, chemotherapeutic toxicities, targeted anticancer therapies, reactivation hepatitis, portosystemic shunting, and transarterial chemoembolization (TACE) is discussed, and an approach to etiological diagnosis and management is outlined.
ISSN:1934-7820
1934-7987