Shock liver.

The clinical syndrome of "shock liver," also known as ischemic hepatitis, is characterized by sudden elevation (to more than 20 times the upper limit of normal) of SGOT and SGPT in response to cellular anoxia, followed by resolution to near normal levels within seven to ten days. In our experience with ten cases, systemic hypotension was documented in only four, but processes characterized by decreased cellular perfusion were identified in all and included cardiac failure or arrhythmia, sepsis, cerebrovascular accidents, renal failure, and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease. We were also able to document the transient rise in serum bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase levels and prolonged prothrombin time that followed the transaminase elevations by 24 to 48 hours in most cases, followed by rapid resolution. In neither of the two cases in which tissue was available by biopsy after resolution of the biochemical abnormalities did we find the classic histologic picture of necrosis in zone 3 ("centrilobular necrosis"). The clinical picture of shock liver is so characteristic and resolves so rapidly that there should be no confusion with other causes of marked elevations of transaminase levels.