What makes the liver smell? Understanding Fetor Hepaticus
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4 min read
Hippocrates, the father of modern medicine, first noted that breath can be linked to liver disease in ancient Greece, describing the distinctive odor now known as fetor hepaticus. This phenomenon, which explains what makes the liver smell, is caused by the accumulation of volatile compounds that the compromised liver fails to filter, leading to a noticeable and serious symptom of advanced liver dysfunction.