Acute hepatic failure caused by an acute aortic dissection with cardiac tamponade: a case report

An acute cardiac tamponade from any cause may result in rapid deterioration of hepatic function in a previously healthy patient. We describe a case of an acute ascending aortic dissection that presented as acute hepatic failure, due to an acute cardiac tamponade and severe right heart failure. The differential diagnosis of the aetiology of acute liver failure is extensive and includes poisonings, vascular obstruction and sepsis, particularly on the background of decompensated liver disease. Many of these conditions are associated with hypotension. The acute presentation in our patient, combined with the lack of a characteristic history delayed the diagnosis of a proximal (type A) dissection with tamponade and subsequent hepatic failure. Severe right-sided heart failure as a result of conditions such as cardiac tamponade should be excluded in patients presenting with acute hepatic failure of unknown aetiology.