[An adult with chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection associated with repeated liver dysfunction].
A 30-year-old woman with hepatitis for 5 months was admitted to our hospital. She had been given a diagnosis of liver dysfunction 2 years previously, and the hepatitis in this case was believed to be drug-induced. On admission, the patient was asymptomatic. Serologic tests for hepatitis A, B, and C were negative, and the laboratory results showed a WBC count of 7600/mm3 (lymphocytes, 85%), an AST level of 559 U/L, ALT level of 427 U/L, and EBV-DNA of 2.9x10(6) copies/microg DNA. Histopathological examination of the liver biopsy specimens revealed moderate lymphocyte infiltration in the sinusoids and positive Epstein-Barr-encoded RNA (EBER) -lymphocytes. Therefore, chronic active Epstein-Barr virus infection (CAEBV) was diagnosed. However, 9 months after the diagnosis she died of mycotic sepsis. We presume that the patient may have developed CAEBV at the prior diagnosis of liver dysfunction 2 years previously. Therefore, CAEBV associated with liver dysfunction should be considered during the differential diagnosis of patients showing persistent liver dysfunction.
Endo
Tetsu
T
Department of Gastroenterology and Hematology, Hirosaki University Graduate School of Medicine. endo16@cc.hirosaki-u.ac.jp
Mori
Yuki
Y
Fukushi
Tsugumi
T
Yamaguchi
Kohei
K
Sato
Ken
K
Sakamoto
Juichi
J
Fukuda
Shinsaku
S
Wada
Ryuichi
R
D000328:Adult; D002908:Chronic Disease; D020031:Epstein-Barr Virus Infections / Q000150:complications*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008107:Liver Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D012008:Recurrence