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Pleural effusion - An unusual cause

Vinoth Ponnurangam Nagarajan1, Anitha Palaniyadi, Muthamilselvan Sathyamoorthi

  • 1Sri Ramachandra Medical College & Research Institute, Chennai, Tamil Nadu, India.

The Australasian Medical Journal
|August 21, 2012
PubMed

Insights

Hepatitis A infection in children can rarely cause pleural effusion and ascites. These rare extrahepatic complications typically resolve with symptomatic treatment alongside the hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection.

Area of Science:

  • Hepatology
  • Pediatrics
  • Infectious Diseases

Background:

  • Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infection is a prevalent cause of hepatitis in children, particularly in developing nations.
  • HAV infection is typically self-limiting, with extrahepatic complications being uncommon.

Observation:

  • This report details two pediatric cases of Hepatitis A presenting with concurrent pleural effusion and ascites.
  • These extrahepatic manifestations were observed alongside the primary HAV infection.

Findings:

  • Both pleural effusion and ascites in these patients resolved completely.
  • Resolution of the extrahepatic symptoms correlated with the resolution of the Hepatitis A infection following symptomatic treatment.

Implications:

  • Healthcare providers, especially pediatricians in developing countries, should recognize the potential for rare extrahepatic manifestations of HAV infection.
  • Awareness of these uncommon but reversible complications can prevent unnecessary diagnostic procedures and guide appropriate patient management.

Keywords:
Hepatitis Aascitespleural effusion

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