Acute Liver Failure Complicated with Severe Heart Failure

Abstract

A young pregnant woman was hospitalized due to hepatitis B virus (HBV)-related acute liver failure (ALF). The cardiac function was normal on admission. However, she developed ALF concurrently with a coma and severe cardiac failure. The patient was diagnosed with severe acute cardiomyopathy due to diffuse hypokinesis of the left ventricle wall on ultrasound cardiography. Following intensive treatment, both the liver and cardiac function dramatically recovered. Although some factors, such as HBV, pregnancy and systemic inflammatory response syndrome, are possible causes of acute cardiomyopathy in the present case, ALF itself may be a risk factor for heart failure.