Abstract: Liver failure is characterized by rapid progress and extremely high mortality.Glucocorticoids are currently used in the treatment of liver failure to improve the prognosis,but they have not been widely recognized.This paper reviews the advances on pathogenesis of liver failure,the timing,efficacy and adverse effects of glucocorticoids treatment,so as to increase clinician's knowledge of glucocorticoids in treatment of liver failure,in order to increase the awareness and rational administration of glucocorticoids in treatment of liver failure.