Long-term treatment of portosystemic encephalopathy with oral branched-chain amino acids--a case report.

ABSTRACT

We treated a 68-year-old male patient of hepatic encephalopathy with oral branched chain amino acids-enriched formula (Aminoleban EN) in addition to lactulose. His encephalopathy was successfully controlled with this therapy for more than a year despite the high blood ammonia levels. Repeated amino acids analyses demonstrated that the deranged branched chain to aromatic amino acids ratio was attenuated with long-term Aminoleban EN administration both in plasma and in cerebrospinal fluid. Oral branched-chain amino acid supplement was very useful in improving the chronic portosystemic or hepatic encephalopathy in this patient.