Acute pancreatitis associated with non-A-non-B hepatitis. Report of a case

A 33-year-old man, vaccinated against hepatitis B virus, working in an hemodialysis unit, pricked himself with a needle used in a patient. Four weeks later he developed acute hepatitis along with acute pancreatitis. The pancreatitis resolved, but the liver disease ran a chronic course. The diagnosis of hepatitis non-A-non-B (NANB) was made on the following criteria: (a) epidemiologic circumstances, (b) exclusion of other causes of acute and/or chronic liver disease, (c) chronic indolent course, and (d) compatible histological features. The diagnosis of acute pancreatitis was made with clinical, biological, and radiological data. We believe that the pancreatitis was related to the NANB viral infection, as they began simultaneously and other causes of pancreatitis were eliminated. Such an association has been reported mainly with hepatitis B and exceptionally with hepatitis A. It has also been observed in the course of fulminant NANB viral hepatitis, but we believe this to be the first case associated with a benign form of NANB.