Terlipressin may influence the outcome of hepatorenal syndrome complicating alcoholic hepatitis.

Hepatorenal syndrome is a frequent complication associated with extremely short survival in cirrhotic patients with alcoholic hepatitis. Vasopressin analogs have been reported to induce transient regression of hepatorenal syndrome in patients with cirrhosis. However, treatment withdrawal was followed by early recurrences in every case. We report the case of a 68-yr-old woman with severe alcoholic hepatitis complicated by hepatorenal syndrome. Terlipressin induced a prolonged recovery of renal function that was associated with improvement in hepatic function.