title: Etiology and clinical pattern of fulminant hepatitis in Iraq.
abstract: Of 253 prospectively studied cases of acute viral hepatitis (AVH), 47 were fulminant (18.6%). There were 15 males and 32 females. Their age ranged from 7 to 60 years (mean, 29 years). Serological evidence of AVH-A was found in one case (2%), AVH-B in 13 cases (28%), AVH-D in one case (2%), and AVH-NANB in 32 cases (68%). Fulminant hepatitis was found in 2.6% of AVH-A cases, in 16.25% of AVH-B cases, in one of two AVH-D superinfections, and in 24.8% of the AVH-non-A, non-B (NANB) cases. The clinical picture in the two main etiological categories, namely the AVH-B and the AVH-NANB, showed that the latter possessed a more prolonged and severe clinical course with higher mortality (P<0.001). It also showed a higher mortality in females of the child bearing age, compared with males of the same age group (P<0.001).
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, University of Baghdad, Iraq, Viral Laboratory, Hospital Bretonneau, Tours, Cedex, France, and Ibn Al-Khateeb Infectious Disease Hospital, Baghdad, Iraq.
authors.forename: S W
authors.initials: SW
authors.lastname: Rassam
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Goudeau
authors.forename: F
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Dubois
authors.forename: B N
authors.initials: BN
authors.lastname: Al-Khoury
authors.forename: J A
authors.initials: JA
authors.lastname: Al-Deen
authors.forename: A M
authors.initials: AM
authors.lastname: Sadik