Typhoid hepatitis in children

A K Shetty1, S R Mital, A H Bahrainwala

  • 1Department of Pediatrics, Louisiana State University Medical Centre, New Orleans, USA.

Insights

Typhoid hepatitis, a rare cause of jaundice in children, presents with fever and liver dysfunction. Prompt antibiotic treatment ensures full recovery, highlighting its importance in tropical differential diagnoses.

Area of Science:

  • Pediatrics
  • Hepatology
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Liver involvement is common in typhoid fever, but a hepatitis-like presentation is rare in children.
  • Typhoid hepatitis can mimic acute viral hepatitis, posing diagnostic challenges.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To characterize the clinical presentation, biochemical findings, and prognosis of typhoid hepatitis in pediatric patients.
  • To emphasize the inclusion of typhoid hepatitis in the differential diagnosis for febrile, jaundiced children in tropical regions.

Main Methods:

  • A retrospective study of 100 pediatric typhoid fever cases (age 0-12 years) with positive blood cultures for Salmonella typhi.
  • Special focus on identifying and analyzing cases with hepatic dysfunction.

Main Results:

  • Eight patients (8%) presented with typhoid hepatitis, characterized by high fever, tender hepatomegaly, elevated serum bilirubin (2.5-5.8 mg/dl), and elevated ALT (100-620 IU/l).
  • All eight patients achieved complete clinical and biochemical recovery with appropriate antibiotic therapy.

Conclusions:

  • Typhoid hepatitis is an uncommon but significant manifestation of typhoid fever in children.
  • The clinical presentation of typhoid hepatitis warrants its consideration in the differential diagnosis of acute hepatitis in children, especially in endemic areas.

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