Hepatic ischemia is a condition in which the liver does not get enough blood or oxygen, causing injury to liver cells.

Ischemic hepatitis; Shock liver

Low blood pressure from any condition can lead to hepatic ischemia. Such conditions may include:

• Abnormal heart rhythms
• Dehydration
• Heart failure
• Infection
• Severe bleeding

Other causes may include:

• Blood clots in the main artery to the liver (hepatic artery) after a liver transplant
• Swelling of blood vessels leading to reduced blood flow (vasculitis)

Images

Liver blood supply

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Hepatic ischemia Symptoms

Review Date: 07/07/2010
Reviewed By: David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine; George F. Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San Diego, California. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)