Exacerbation of hepatic encephalopathy by chronic renal failure: response to maintenance hemodialysis.

ABSTRACT

The consequences of chronic renal insufficiency relevant to hepatic failure are not well appreciated. We describe a patient with chronic cirrhosis and marked porto-systemic shunting who, after the onset of chronic renal failure, developed intractable encephalopathy which improved markedly during an eight month period of maintenance hemodialysis.