A Case of Recurrent Hepatic Encephalopathy Secondary to Spontaneous Intrahepatic Portosystemic Venous Shunt

The portosystemic venous shunts within the hepatic parenchyma, a rare disease can lead to hepatic encephalopathy. The etiology of intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunt may be either congenital or acquired such as secondary to portal hypertension due to chronic liver damage. A 61-year-old women was admitted to our hospital with recurrent encephalopathy. Liver function tests, abdominal computerized tomography, ultrasound and arterial portography revealed an intrahepatic portosystemic venous shunt in a noncirrhotic liver. Thus, recurrent encephalopathy should be closely evaluated for detection of rare causes.