Granulomatous hepatitis associated with scrub typhus

J Gastroenterol Hepatol. 1995 Jul-Aug;10(4):484-7. doi: 10.1111/j.1440-1746.1995.tb01605.x.

Abstract

A 56 year old patient with scrub typhus infection having unusual presentation of hepatic injury resembling acute hepatitis is described. The clinical features of fever, headache, eschar, lymphadenopathy, lymphocytosis and high Rickettsia tsutsugamushi immunofluorescence titres confirmed the diagnosis of scrub typhus. Acute hepatitis was proven by hepatic biochemical tests and liver biopsy. The patient had a complete recovery soon after antibiotic treatment. The presentation of this case suggests that scrub typhus infection should be included in the list of differential diagnosis of acute hepatitis or granulomatous hepatitis, at least in the Asian Pacific region where scrub typhus still prevails.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Acute Disease
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Hepatitis / diagnosis
  • Hepatitis / drug therapy
  • Hepatitis / microbiology*
  • Humans
  • Lymphomatoid Granulomatosis / diagnosis
  • Lymphomatoid Granulomatosis / drug therapy
  • Lymphomatoid Granulomatosis / microbiology*
  • Male
  • Middle Aged
  • Scrub Typhus* / diagnosis
  • Scrub Typhus* / drug therapy

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents