title: [Fulminating hepatitis A in children. Apropos of 4 cases].
abstract: We report four cases of fulminant hepatitis in children (4 to 15 years) who developed an hepatic encephalopathy grade III to IV, 4 to 13 days after the onset of their illness. Three patients recovered without sequelae. The complications were neurological: one child showed elevation of the intracranial pressure, successfully treated after monitoring of extra-dural pressure; one suffered from cerebral death. Hepatitis A was diagnosed by the presence in serum of the IgM component of hepatitis A antibody, but another etiologic factor was present in two cases: an halothane anesthesia and an Epstein Barr virus infection which could explain the severity of the hepatitis.
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D002648:Child; D002675:Child, Preschool; D005260:Female; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000209:etiology*; D006506:Hepatitis A / Q000150:complications* / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male
vernacular_title: Hépatite fulminante à virus A chez l'enfant. A propos de quatre observations.