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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.
Abstract:
Liver involvement is commonly observed in patients with typhoid fever. However, a hepatitis-like picture with fever and jaundice is unusual and infrequently reported in the paediatric literature. Our aim was to characterize the clinical picture, biochemical features, and prognosis of typhoid hepatitis. One hundred cases of typhoid fever (age 0 to 12 years), proven by positive blood cultures to Salmonella typhi, were studied with special reference to hepatic dysfunction. Of these, eight patients were found to have hepatitis during the course of their illness. All had high fever, tender hepatomegaly, elevated serum bilirubin (in the range of 2.5-5.8 mg/dl), and elevated serum alanine transaminase levels (in the range 100-620 IU/l). All the eight patients showed complete clinical and biochemical recovery in response to appropriate antibiotics. The clinical picture of typhoid hepatitis frequently mimics acute viral hepatitis. In tropical areas, the differential diagnosis of a child presenting with fever and jaundice should include typhoid hepatitis.
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