Table of Contents
- Overview
- Symptoms
- Treatment
- Prevention
- Images
Hepatocerebral degeneration is a brain disorder that occurs in people with liver damage.
Alternative Names
Chronic acquired (Non-Wilsonian) hepatocerebral degeneration
Causes, incidence, and risk factors
This condition may occur in any case of acquired liver failure, including severe
Liver damage can lead to the build-up of ammonia and other toxic materials in the body. This happens when the liver doesn't work properly to break down and eliminate these chemicals. The toxic materials can damage brain tissue.
Specific areas of the brain, such as the basal ganglia, are more likely to be injured from liver failure. The basal ganglia help control movement. This condition is the "Non-Wilsonian" type. This means that the liver damage is not caused by copper deposits in the liver, which is a key feature of
Images
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)
