Hepatitis E presenting with thrombocytopaenia.
We hereby present the case of a 25-year-old man who presented at the emergency department of Civil Hospital Karachi, Pakistan with signs and symptoms of acute viral hepatitis. Serology tests revealed that the patient was suffering from hepatitis E viral (HEV) infection. Concurrently, the patient was also found to have thrombocytopaenia (TCP). His TCP became better after the resolution of his jaundice, with the patient requiring a transfusion of one mega unit of platelets. After ruling out other common causes of TCP and after a thorough literature search, we concluded that an immune-mediated mechanism secondary to HEV infection might have been the cause behind his low platelet counts. Hence, we propose considering the possibility of HEV infection in patients presenting with acute liver failure and TCP, irrespective of age, gender, and geographical location of the patient.
Medical Doctor/General Physician, Department of Medicine, Dow Medical College, Civil Hospital Karachi, Pakistan.
Irfan
I
Masood
Medical Doctor, Department of Medicine, Dow Medical College, Civil Hospital Karachi, Pakistan.
Ali
A
Rafiq
Medical Doctor, Department of Medicine, Dow Medical College, Civil Hospital Karachi, Pakistan Zain88@Hotmail.com.
Zain
Z
Majid
D000328:Adult; D004630:Emergencies; D016751:Hepatitis E / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D016752:Hepatitis E virus / Q000302:isolation & purification; D006801:Humans; D007565:Jaundice / Q000209:etiology; D017114:Liver Failure, Acute / Q000097:blood / Q000150:complications / Q000175:diagnosis*; D008297:Male; D010154:Pakistan; D013921:Thrombocytopenia / Q000209:etiology
Hepatitis E; immune-mediated; thrombocytopaenia; young male