title: Chronic hepatitis E - an emerging disease in an immunocompromised host.
abstract: Chronic hepatitis E virus (HEV) infection is increasingly being reported in immunosuppressed individuals with HIV, patients with haematological malignancy and transplant recipients. The diagnosis of cirrhosis and liver failure post chronic HEV is controversial due to lack of standard diagnostic criteria. The treatment benefits of ribavirin in chronic HEV of genotype 1 are not well reported. We report a case of chronic HEV infection of genotype 1 leading to chronic liver disease in a child cured of acute leukaemia. Our report also highlights the successful use of ribavirin for eradicating chronic HEV infection and its subsequent survival benefits. Chronic hepatitis E may be an emerging disease of immunosuppressed patients and should be suspected in the presence of cryptogenic transaminitis. Ribavirin is an effective therapy for controlling HEV.
authors: Department of Paediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors: Amitabh
authors: A
authors: Singh
authors: Department of Paediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors: Rachna
authors: R
authors: Seth
authors: Department of Paediatrics, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors: Anand
authors: A
authors: Gupta
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India drshalimar@yahoo.com.
authors: Shalimar
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors: Baibaswata
authors: B
authors: Nayak
authors: Department of Gastroenterology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors: Subrat Kumar
authors: SK
authors: Acharya
authors: Department of Pathology, All India Institute of Medical Sciences, New Delhi, India.
authors: Prasenjit
authors: P
authors: Das
keywords: chronic hepatitis E; chronic liver disease; immunosuppression; ribavirin.