Acute Cholestasis, Hepatic Failure, and Fatty Liver in the Alcoholic

Abstract

Alcoholic patients (3) are described who presented with acute cholestasis and liver cell failure. In each patient the liver biopsy showed severe fatty change with cholestasis, but without typical alcoholic hepatitis. There was no evidence of extra-hepatic biliary obstruction, although 1 patient had chronic pancreatitis. Of the 3 patients, 2 died of hepatic failure and the 3rd recovered and has remained well while abstaining from alcohol.