Hepatic artery occlusion

[Couch Potatoe]

Causes of hepatic artery occlusion include thrombosis (eg, due to hypercoagulability disorders, severe arteriosclerosis, or vasculitis), emboli (eg, due to endocarditis, tumors, therapeutic embolization, or chemoembolization), iatrogenic causes (eg, ligation during surgery), vasculitis (via nonthrombotic mechanisms), structural arterial abnormalities (eg, hepatic artery aneurysm), eclampsia, cocaine use, and sickle cell crisis. (See also Overview of Vascular Disorders of the Liver.)
Usually, the result is hepatic infarction. In patients with a liver transplant or preexisting portal vein thrombosis, hepatic artery thrombosis causes ischemic hepatitis. Because of the liver’s dual blood supply, the liver is somewhat resistant to ischemic hepatitis and infarction.