[Cholestatic viral hepatitis: is it an easy diagnosis?]

Three cases of acute cholestatic viral hepatitis are presented. A discussion is made regarding the difficulties encountered and the methods used for certifying this not always easy diagnosis: one patient with virus A and two presumed cases of non-A, non-B virus. The most noteworthy laboratory findings are observed in the very slight transaminase changes or their abrupt descent over a short period whereas bilirubin and cholestatic parameters increase. Due to the particular characteristics observed in the first case, a doubt still exists regarding the possibility of an occult systemic disease existing even though 17 months have passed since the onset of symptoms. The possibility of Hodgkin's disease has been virtually ruled out since it seldom presents such long term hyperbilirubinemia and such high alkaline phosphatase levels.