Table 1:

Classification of hepatic encephalopathy (HE)

HE	Liver Disease	Extrahepatic Portal-Systemic Shunting	Neurologic Manifestations	Specific Features
Acute episode
In cirrhosis	Cirrhosis	Variable	Acute confusional state to coma	Usually precipitated
In acute liver failure	Acute liver failure	Absent	Acute confusional state to coma	Frequently complicated by brain edema and intracranial hypertension
Chronic
Relapsing	Cirrhosis	Severe	Relapsing episodes of encephalopathy	Usually without precipitating factors
Persistent	Cirrhosis	Severe	Persistent cognitive or motor abnormalities	Generally related to surgically induced shunts
Minimal HE	Cirrhosis	Variable	Asymptomatic	Abnormalities revealed by neuropsychological or neurophysiologic tests
In patients with portal-systemic bypass with no intrinsic hepatocellular disease	Absent	Large shunts	Relapsing episodes and persistent abnormalities	Rare disorder, secondary to congenital abnormalities, surgical shunts, or portal vein thrombosis