title: [Hepatic psittacosis: a case of liver abnormality diagnosed by ultrasonography].
abstract: Psittacosis marked by liver and spleen involvement and minimal pericarditis was observed in an 18-year-old patient hospitalized for fever of 1 month duration. At admission, there was no other clinical manifestation and the chest X-ray showed no sign of pulmonary involvement. Liver tests revealed cholestasis. Ultrasonography of the abdomen revealed multiple nodular formations in the liver and spleen, images confirmed on computed tomography. Liver biopsy showed granulomatous with hyperplasia of the Kupffer cells surrounded by healthy tissue. Complement fixation to psittacosis antigen was positive and increased significantly over a 15-day interval. Treatment with tetracycline led to rapid remission of the fever and normalization of the liver tests and hepatic images. Liver involvement in psittacosis is not uncommon, but this is apparently the first case reporting echographic anomalies. The absence of pulmonary involvement has been reported earlier in a few cases. The diagnosis is usually suggested on the basis of epidemiologic criteria and confirmed by complement fixation.
authors.affiliation: Institut de Pathologie médicale, Université Catholique du Sacré Coeur, Rome.
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Carella
authors.forename: L
authors.initials: L
authors.lastname: Marra
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Vallot
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents / Q000627:therapeutic use; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D008297:Male; D009956:Psittacosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000382:microbiology*; D013752:Tetracycline / Q000627:therapeutic use; D014463:Ultrasonography
chemical_list: D000900:Anti-Bacterial Agents; D013752:Tetracycline
vernacular_title: Psittacose hépatique: un cas avec anomalie échographique du foie.