Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Alcoholic hepatitis with leukemoid reaction after surgery.

Angel M Morales1, Luis A Hashimoto, David Mokhtee

  • 1Department of General Surgery, Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center at El Paso, 79905, USA. angel.morales@ttuhsc.edu

Journal of Gastrointestinal Surgery : Official Journal of the Society for Surgery of the Alimentary Tract
|December 22, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Leukemoid reactions (LRs) are rare in alcoholic hepatitis (AH) but indicate a poor prognosis. Steroids effectively treated the LR in this case, but the patient with AH still died post-surgery.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

A new technique for robotic thyroidectomy: "the daVinci gasless single-incision axillary approach".

Journal of robotic surgery·2016
Same author

Laparoscopic aspiration cytology in rheumatoid ascites: a case report.

Acta cytologica·2011
Same author

Scratch Collapse Test Localizes Osborne's Band as the Point of Maximal Nerve Compression in Cubital Tunnel Syndrome.

Hand (New York, N.Y.)·2009
Same author

Wandering gallbladder.

American journal of surgery·2008
Same author

Pseudomembranous gastritis: a complication from aspergillus infection.

The American surgeon·2003

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Oncology
  • Hematology

Background:

  • Alcoholic hepatitis (AH) is a severe liver condition linked to excessive alcohol consumption.
  • Leukemoid reactions (LRs), marked by extremely high white blood cell counts, are uncommon in AH.
  • AH-associated LRs signify a grave prognosis and high mortality rates.

Observation:

  • A 64-year-old male with a history of heavy alcohol use and cecal carcinoma developed severe leukocytosis post-hemicolectomy.
  • Despite normal preoperative labs except for low albumin, liver biopsies revealed cirrhosis and steatohepatitis.
  • The patient exhibited impaired hepatic and renal function, with no identifiable infection source.

Findings:

  • The patient's white blood cell count escalated to 72.6 cells/mm(3), consistent with a leukemoid reaction.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Intravenous antibiotics were ineffective, but methylprednisolone treatment led to a decrease in white blood cell count.
  • Despite successful LR management with steroids, the patient succumbed to the illness.

    • Implications:

    • This case highlights the rare occurrence of AH-associated LRs in the postoperative period.
    • It underscores the poor prognosis associated with LRs in alcoholic hepatitis, even with treatment.
    • The findings emphasize the need for careful management and monitoring of patients with AH and severe leukocytosis.