Acute liver failure differential diagnosis

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1] Associate Editor(s)-in-Chief:

Overview

There are some diseases or conditions which have a similar presentation to acute liver failure. These include tyrosenemia, fructose intolerance, being affected by the toxin from bacillus cereus, and the HELLP syndrome of pregnancy.

Differentiating Acute Liver Failure from other Diseases

Acute liver failure must be differentiated from other diseases that cause signs and symptoms of jaundice, coagulopathy, and encephalopathy.

Differential Diagnosis	Similar Features	Differentiating Features
Differential 1	On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] also observed in [disease name].	On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] that distinguish it from [disease name].
Differential 2	On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] also observed in [disease name].	On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] that distinguish it from [disease name].
Differential 3	On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] also observed in [disease name].	On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] that distinguish it from [disease name].
Differential 4	On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] also observed in [disease name].	On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] that distinguish it from [disease name].
Differential 5	On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] also observed in [disease name].	On [physical exam; history; diagnostic test; imaging], [Differential 1] {has; demonstrates} [feature 1], [feature 2], [feature 3] that distinguish it from [disease name].

Examples:

The following tables may be used as examples of different table styles for differentiating disease:

Example 1

The table below summarizes the different findings between Pericarditis and Myocardial infarction:

Characteristic/Parameter	Pericarditis	Myocardial infarction
Pain description	Sharp, pleuritic, retro-sternal (under the sternum) or left precordial (left chest) pain.	Crushing, pressure-like, heavy pain. Described as "elephant on the chest".
Radiation	Pain radiates to the trapezius ridge (to the lowest portion of the scapula on the back) or no radiation.	Pain radiates to the jaw, or the left or arm, or does not radiate.
Exertion	Does not change the pain	Can increase the pain
Position	Pain is worse supine or upon inspiration (breathing in)	Not positional
Onset/duration	Sudden pain, that lasts for hours or sometimes days before a patient comes to the ER	Sudden or chronically worsening pain that can come and go in paroxysms or it can last for hours before the patient decides to come to the ER

Abbreviations: RUQ= Right upper quadrant of the abdomen, LFT= Liver function test, SIRS= Systemic inflammatory response syndrome, ERCP= Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography, N= Normal, AMA= Anti mitochondrial antibodies, LDH= Lactate dehydrogenase, GI= Gastrointestinal, CT= Computed tomography

Classification of jaundice based on etiology Disease History and clinical manifestations Diagnosis Lab Findings Other blood tests Other diagnostic Family history Fever RUQ Pain Pruritis AST ALT ALK BLR Indirect BLR Direct Viral serology Jaundice Hepatocellular Jaundice Hemochromatosis + - -/+ - ↑ ↑ ↑/N ↑/N N - Ferritin ↑ Liver biopsy Wilson's disease + - -/+ - ↑ ↑ N ↑/N N - Serum cerulloplasmin ↑ Liver biopsy Viral hepatitis - -/+ - - ↑ ↑ N ↑/N N + Specific viral antibody for each type - Alcoholic hepatitis - - - - ↑ ↑↑ N ↑/N N - - - Drug induced hepatitis - -/+ - - ↑ ↑ N ↑/N N - - - Autoimmune hepatitis -/+ - - -/+ ↑ ↑ N ↑/N N - Anti-LKM antibody Liver biopsy Cholestatic Jaundice Common bile duct stone -/+ - + + N N ↑ ↑ N - Dilated ducts on sono CT/ERCP Hepatitis A cholestatic type - -/+ + + N N ↑ ↑ N + HAV- AB Abdominal ultrasound EBV / CMV hepatitis - -/+ + + N N ↑ ↑ N + Positive serology Primary biliary cirrhosis -/+ - -/+ + N/↑ N/↑ ↑ ↑ N - AMA positive Liver biopsy Primary sclerosing cholangitis -/+ - -/+ + N/↑ N/↑ ↑ ↑ N - Beading on MRCP Liver biopsy Isolated Jaundice Crigler-Najjar type 2 + - - - N N N ↑ N - Genetic testing Gilbert + - - - N N N ↑ N - Genetic testing Rotor syndrome + - - - N N N N ↑ - Genetic testing Liver biopsy Dubin-Johnson syndrome + - - - N N N N ↑ - Genetic testing Liver biopsy Hereditory spherocytosis + - -/+ - N N N ↑ N - Genetic testing Osmotic fragility G6PD deficiency + - - - N N N ↑ N - Genetic testing Thalassemia + - - - N N N ↑ N - Genetic testing Sickle cell disease + - - - N N N ↑ N - Genetic testing Paroxismal nocturnal hemoglobinoria - - - - N N N ↑ N - Flocytometery Immune hemolysis - -/+ - - N N N ↑ N - Autoantibodies Hematoma - -/+ - - N N N ↑ N - Anemia Truma or surgery in history