title: Herpes simplex virus hepatitis in infants: clinical outcomes and correlates of disease severity.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To better characterize the clinical outcomes of infants with herpes simplex virus (HSV) infection and identify useful correlates of disease severity.
  
  
  METHODS
  Infants aged ≤6 months with HSV infection treated between 1999 and 2009 were identified. In patients with concurrent hepatitis, laboratory and clinical variables were examined to identify predictors of specific outcomes, including death or the need for liver transplantation and the need for intensive care.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Of the 15 patients enrolled, 4 (27%) had fatal disease and 2 (13%) required liver transplantation. Infants who lacked skin lesions (P = .04), had a positive HSV polymerase chain reaction result (P = .01), had more severe thrombocytopenia (P = .001), or had other organ system dysfunction (P = .002) were more likely to require intensive care. A higher International Normalized Ratio value (P = .001) and peak total bilirubin level (P = .0002) were predictive of death or the need for liver transplantation. Peak direct bilirubin level was predictive of the need for intensive care and of death or the need for liver transplantation (P = .04 and .009, respectively).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  HSV hepatitis represents a broad spectrum of disease from mild aminotransferase elevation to fulminant liver failure and death. HSV DNA detected by polymerase chain reaction, a lack of skin lesions, and the degree of coagulopathy, thrombocytopenia, and cholestasis portend unfavorable outcomes.
authors.affiliation: Division of Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition, Department of Pediatrics, University of Florida College of Medicine and Shands Children's Hospital, Gainesville, FL 32610, USA. kmcgoogan@peds.ufl.edu
authors.forename: Katherine E
authors.initials: KE
authors.lastname: McGoogan
authors.forename: Allah B
authors.initials: AB
authors.lastname: Haafiz
authors.forename: Regino P
authors.initials: RP
authors.lastname: González Peralta
mesh_terms: D001663:Bilirubin / Q000097:blood; D004279:DNA, Viral / Q000032:analysis; D005260:Female; D006525:Hepatitis, Viral, Human / Q000401:mortality* / Q000601:surgery / Q000821:virology; D006561:Herpes Simplex / Q000401:mortality*; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D007363:Intensive Care Units, Neonatal / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D015278:Intensive Care Units, Pediatric / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D019934:International Normalized Ratio; D016031:Liver Transplantation / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D008297:Male; D016133:Polymerase Chain Reaction; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D018139:Simplexvirus / Q000235:genetics; D017193:Skin Diseases, Viral / Q000453:epidemiology / Q000473:pathology; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D004279:DNA, Viral; D001663:Bilirubin