ACUTE COMPLICATIONS
Fulminant hepatitis is rare (1% of cases) but very serious. His mortality is 50 to 80%.
The symptoms are impressive:
- Hepatic encephalopathy;
- Haemorrhages (purpura, hematemesis);
- Metabolic disorders: a collapse of coagulation factors, hypoglycemia, hyperammonemia, acid-base disorders, etc .;
- Acute hepatitis A: jaundice lasts longer than usual, but never becomes chronic;
- Acute hepatitis B: the transition to chronic disease is possible.
SUBACUTE COMPLICATIONS
- Subacute hepatitis, the symptoms are marked, neurological signs can be seen, a progression towards chronicity or even fatal is possible;
- Cholestatic hepatitis: Hepatitis is complicated by cholestasis, the evolution is long but usually favorable.
CHRONIC COMPLICATIONS
- Asymptomatic carriers: these patients carry the hepatitis B virus, but no symptoms, their blood is contagious;
- Persistent chronic hepatitis usually occurs after acute hepatitis A or B. Healing is the rule;
- Chronic active hepatitis (B or C) is a serious disease that can progress to cirrhosis or liver cancer;
- Liver cancer occurs after 10 to 30 years of chronic hepatitis.
Other complications are immunological: joint or muscle pain, anemia, kidney damage, etc.