| Theme | Acute Liver Failure and Regenerative Medicine of the Liver | |
|---|---|---|
| Title | Fulminant Hepatitis and Late Onset Hepatic Failure in Japan ： Nation wide Survey | |
| Publish Date | 2008/12 | |
| Author | Makoto Oketani | Department of Digestive and Life-style related Disease, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences |
| Author | Hirofumi Uto | Department of Digestive and Life-style related Disease, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences |
| Author | Akio Ido | Department of Digestive and Life-style related Disease, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences |
| Author | Hirohito Tsubouchi | Department of Digestive and Life-style related Disease, Kagoshima University Graduate School of Medical and Dental Sciences |
| [ Summary ] | The objective of this article is to describe the epidemiologic profile for fulminant hepatitis and late onset hepatic failure over a 3-year period from 2004 through 2006 as illustrated by annual nationwide surveys in Japan. A total of 236 patients were studied, 116 were diagnosed with acute fulminant hepatitis, 106 with sub acute fulminant hepatitis and 14 were determined to have LOHF. Complications were associated with 46% of patients with fulminant hepatitis and 36% of patients with LOHF. Forty one % of patients with fulminant hepatitis and 50% of patients with LOHF received some form of medication. The etiology of fulminant hepatitis was related to viral infection in 65% of the acute type and 29% of the sub acute type. The main causative agent was the hepatitis B virus (HBV). The etiology was unknown in 16% of the acute type and 39% of the sub acute type cases. Autoimmune hepatitis and drug allergy-induced liver injury were found in 15 and 17% of the sub acute type. The prognosis was extremely poor for HBV patients. The incidence of HBV reactivation, mainly in subjects who were HBs-Ag negative, anti-HBc positive and/or anti-HBs positive with resolved infections (de novo hepatitis B) after chemotherapy was increasing and was associated with high mortality rates despite prompt anti-viral treatment. | |