Fulminant hepatic failure (FHF, liver failure)

General: May or may not involve massive hepatic necrosis, which has a slightly narrower list of possible causes.

Gross:

Microscopic:

Differential Diagnosis of causes:

• More common/classic
  • Drug/toxin (too numerous to list all)
    • Acetaminophen
    • Halothane
    • MAOI's
    • Carbon tetrachloride
    • Mushroom poisoning (Amanita phalloides)
  • Ischemia
  • Hepatitis A, B, C, D
  • Reye syndrome
  • Wilsons disease
• Less common
  • Hepatitis E, G
  • HHV-6
  • VZV

Stains:

• Positive:
• Negative:
• Suggested, focused panel:

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