Mushroom Poisoning: A Rare Etiology of Acute Liver Failure

Acute liver failure is defined as a rapid deterioration in liver function, manifested by symptoms and signs of hepatic encephalopathy and disturbed synthetic function in a patient without Pre-existing cirrhosis and with an illness of less than 26 weeks duration. Mushroom poisoning as a cause of acute liver injury is rare but associated with deadly outcomes if not early recognized and treated. The mortality is very high in the case of amatoxin-containing mushrooms ingestion and liver transplantation is the only lifesaving option. Therefore, early recognition of a suspected patient who came with features of mushroom-related food poisoning, timely referral to a liver transplantation center, and adequate supportive management remain the main approaches of management in a patient with acute liver injury. We present a patient with gastroenteritis who ingested wild mushroom 14 hours prior to hospital admission with subsequent severe acute liver failure due to mushroom poisoning, successfully treated with urgent liver transplantation. This case study highlighted that careful evaluation of the symptoms and signs of acute liver failure in a patient with a history of mushroom ingestion can result in early referral to a liver transplant center, especially if the patient is systemically unwell.