[Cutaneous hyperpigmentation as a manifestation in acute on chronic liver failure]

The acquired cutaneous pigmentation represents a little recognized clinical manifestation in liver disorders, both acute and chronic, and can occur in the exacerbation processes of preexisting hepatopathies, as in the context of acute-on-chronic liver failure. Several hypotheses about the increase in pigment at skin and mucous membranes have been developed; some try to explain it as a defect in the degradation of melanin with secondary accumulation at tissues; others, on the other hand, describe it as a consequence of the release of fibroblast growth factors like endothelial growth factor and hepatocyte growth factor, which are produced under the stimulation of liver regeneration and cause a melanogenesis stimulation. The aim of this article is to study pigmentary skin changes in the background of liver diseases.

We described two clinical cases of patients with acuteon chronic liver failure secondary to different clinical scenarios are presented, who have in common the development of acquired pigmentary skin changes.

In hepatopathies, the cutaneous hyperpigmentation is a sign with unknown etiology, so further studies are required to know the accurate pathophysiology. Reporting this finding is useful for physicians, since timely identification can help in the early diagnosis of underlying liver diseases.