title: Acute encephalopathy with liver dysfunction, chylous ascites and cytomegalovirus infection.
abstract: A child with acute encephalopathy and liver dysfunction subsequently developed acute chylous ascites. Titers for cytomegalovirus increased from less than 1:2 to 1:32 during the illness, and cytomegalovirus was isolated from the urine. The case is the first one possibly linking cytomegalovirus and acute encephalopathy and liver dysfunction in a child. In our patient, enlargement of the abdominal lymph nodes, as seen on a lymphangiogram, resulted in a severe obstruction of abdominal lymphatic flow, producing a transudation of lymph into the peritoneal cavity. The acute chylous ascites associated with mesenteric lymphadenitis was likely caused by the cytomegalovirus infection.
mesh_terms: D001927:Brain Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D002675:Child, Preschool; D002915:Chylous Ascites / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D003586:Cytomegalovirus Infections / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis