Fatal herpetic hepatitis in adult following short corticotherapy: a case report

Byline: P. Seksik (1), J. Gozlan (2), C. Guitton (1), G. Galula (3), E. Maury (1), G. Offenstadt (1) Keywords: Key words Hepatitis; Herpes simplex virus; Acute hepatic failure Abstract: Herpes simplex virus hepatitis (HSV hepatitis) is an uncommon and severe complication of HSV type 1 and HSV type 2 infection. HSV hepatitis affects mostly immunocompromised patients. We report the case of a young man without any previous known immunodeficiency who developed fatal HSV hepatitis in the first 8 days of oral corticotherapy given for ulcerative colitis. A prompt diagnosis was possible because HSV was recovered from peripheral blood leukocytes. Author Affiliation: (1) Medical Intensive Care Unit, Hopital Saint-Antoine, Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris, 184, rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, F-75 571 Paris Cedex 12, France, FR (2) Laboratory of Microbiology, Hopital Saint-Antoine, Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris, 184, rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, F-75 571 Paris Cedex 12, France, FR (3) Department of Gastroenterology, Hopital Saint-Antoine, Assistance Publique-Hopitaux de Paris, 184, rue du Faubourg Saint-Antoine, F-75 571 Paris Cedex 12, France, FR Article note: Received: 22 May 1998 Accepted: 15 January 1999