Journal of hepatology
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Infection with an identified hepatotrophic virus accounts for 13-50% of acute liver failure (ALF) in Europe, and an additional 16-17% of cases have non-A non-B or indeterminate hepatitis in whom a viral aetiology is presumed. Hepatitis C is rarely responsible for acute liver failure in Europe and North America but accounts for a higher proportion of cases in Japan, and hepatitis E may lead to ALF, particularly in pregnant women. ⋯ Management depends on intensive care support and careful selection of patients likely to benefit from transplantation. Recurrence of hepatitis A and non-A non-B hepatitis has been reported following transplantation for ALF, and hepatitis B recurs less frequently in these circumstances than after transplantation for chronic infection.