Spontaneous remission of hepatic myelopathy in a patient with alcoholic cirrhosis:A case report

BACKGROUND Hepatic myelopathy(HM) is a rare neurological complication of advanced cirrhosis. Prognosis of patients with HM is generally poor without timely liver transplantation or interventional therapy. Self-resolving HM in patients with alcoholic cirrhosis has never been reported.CASE SUMMARY A 53-year-old man with alcoholic cirrhosis and recurrent overt hepatic encephalopathy for 1 year was admitted for lower extremity weakness, slow movement,and stumbling gait. The patient was diagnosed with HM after excluding other causes of spastic paraparesis. The patient refused liver transplantation. However,the patient kept total abstinence and received a multidisciplinary treatment for complications of decompensated cirrhosis. The symptoms of HM resolved gradually after 2 years of treatment. All complications of alcoholic cirrhosis resolved after 4 years of follow-up.CONCLUSION The case demonstrates that HM can resolve in patients without liver transplantation after total abstinence and systemic management of complications.