Hepatorenal Syndrome

Excerpt

Hepatorenal syndrome (HRS) is a multiorgan condition affecting the kidneys and the liver. It is a cause of acute kidney injury that can be seen in those with acute or chronic liver disease. The first association of renal failure in cirrhosis was observed in the late 1800s. In the mid to late 1900s, further research revealed that renal failure in liver cirrhosis was functional. This was demonstrated in patients with hepatorenal syndrome with normal kidney histology in addition to the absence of proteinuria. This was further demonstrated clinically when kidneys from patients with HRS were transplanted into those with chronic kidney disease as well as the improvement of renal function in liver cirrhosis patients who underwent a liver transplant. Further research investigating renal clearance established the association of renal vasoconstriction in HRS.