Snail Ingestion and Acute Liver Failure
No, there is no snail that causes acute liver failure. The provided evidence comprehensively reviews causes of acute liver failure, and snails are not mentioned as a causative agent.
Recognized Causes of Acute Liver Failure
The established etiologies of acute liver failure include:
Toxin-Related Causes
- Acetaminophen overdose is the leading cause of acute liver failure in the United States and Europe, typically requiring ingestion exceeding 10 gm/day, though severe injury can rarely occur with doses as low as 3-4 gm/day 1
- Mushroom poisoning (usually Amanita phalloides) can cause acute liver failure, presenting with severe gastrointestinal symptoms (nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, abdominal cramping) within hours to a day of ingestion 1
- Drug-induced hepatotoxicity from prescription medications, herbal preparations, and nutritional supplements 1, 2
Infectious Causes
- Viral hepatitis (hepatitis A, B, and E) accounts for approximately 12% of cases in the United States 1
- Herpes virus infection rarely causes acute liver failure, particularly in immunosuppressed patients or pregnant women in the third trimester 1
- Varicella zoster has occasionally been implicated 1
Metabolic and Autoimmune Causes
- Wilson disease presents as an uncommon cause (2-3% of US cases), typically in young patients with abrupt onset of hemolytic anemia and serum bilirubin levels ≥20 mg/dL 1
- Autoimmune hepatitis requires treatment with corticosteroids 3
Pregnancy-Related Causes
- Acute fatty liver of pregnancy and HELLP syndrome require expeditious delivery 3
Clinical Pitfall to Avoid
Do not confuse snails with mushrooms. While mushroom poisoning (Amanita phalloides) is a well-documented cause of acute liver failure requiring treatment with penicillin G (300,000 to 1 million units/kg/day IV) and silymarin (30-40 mg/kg/day for 3-4 days), with transplantation often being the only lifesaving option 1, there is no similar association with snail ingestion in the medical literature on acute liver failure 1, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, 2.