liver and gallbladder disorders
Ischemic Hepatitis
Causes of Ischemic Hepatitis
Ischemic hepatitis develops when the liver’s requirements for blood, oxygen, or both are not being met. Decreased blood flowthroughout the body is the most common cause for such unmet needs. Blood flow may be decreased by the following: Heart Failure (HF) None A sudden, large decrease in blood pressure (as may be caused by massive bleeding, severe dehydration, or a severe, bodywide infection) Decreased oxygen levelsin the body, as may result from prolonged, severe respiratory disorders, can also cause ischemic hepatitis. as occurs during a severe bodywide infection ( Sepsis and Septic Shock ), can contribute to ischemic hepatitis. Blocked blood vesselscan cause hepatic ischemia but only when both the hepatic artery and the portal vein are narrowed or blocked. Ischemia does not develop when only one of these blood vessels is narrowed or blocked because the liver receives blood from both the hepatic artery and portal vein, and the blood vessel that is not blocked continues to supply the liver with blood. The most common cause of blocked blood vessels is a blood clot. (Blockage by a blood clot is called thrombosis.) Blood clots in the hepatic artery can have many causes, such as the following: Injury of blood vessels (as occurs during Liver Transplantation surgery) A bulge (aneurysm) in the hepatic artery Inflammation of the artery ( Overview of Vasculitis ) Use ofcocaine(causing spasm of the artery) Sickle cell crisis None Tumors, certain medical procedures, or heart infections ( Infective Endocarditis ) that cause emboli—clumps of material, such as a piece of fatty material or blood clot on the wall of an artery—to break off and travel through the bloodstream and become lodged in a blood vessel Overview of Blood Clotting Disorders can cause blockages in the hepatic artery or portal vein. These disorders may be inherited or acquired. 