Hepatitis A: A refreshing perspective through a rare symptom in a teaching hospital in south India

Hepatitis A virus is a common cause of acute viral hepatitis in India, due to lack of clean water and sanitation. Usual presentations include gastroenteritis or a viral respiratory infection. Hepatitis A has a variety of extra-hepatic manifestations which, if failed to be recognized, evades diagnosis. A 28-year-old lady presented with pain abdomen for 1 week, fever with rashes for 1 day. Patient was febrile at the time of examination. Rash was maculopapular with irregular edges, tender. On examining abdomen, tenderness noted in right hypochondrium and epigastrium with hepatomegaly. Patient was then admitted. Working diagnosis was Viral hepatitis for evaluation. Hepatitis A serology was sent which came positive for Ig M. Patient was treated with IV fluids, bile acid sequestrants, IV PPI, IV and oral antibiotics, antihistamines and 3 doses of injection Vit K. Calamine lotion was also given for skin care. Patient improved symptomatically in 2 days and was discharged after 3 days of hospital stay. In our case, the maculopapular rash spreading to the whole body was the major presenting symptom. The presentation of Hepatitis A with rashes maybe seen in around 10% of patients with extrahepatic manifestations along with arthralgia. Differential diagnosis in this case should be erythema multiforme which is the most common maculopapular eruptive rash. Other viral hepatitis causing agents (Hepatitis B&E) have been documented to present with rashes. SLE and Kawasaki disease rarely present with fever with rash with nonspecific multisystemic involvement. Borrelia, Leptospira also have icterus in their presentations. Early diagnosis and management in this case prevented complication such as autoimmune hepatitis, pleural effusion, ascites acute kidney injury. This case presentation urges the need to consider Hepatitis A to be an important differential diagnosis of fever with rash especially in tropical/sub-tropical countries with poor sanitation.