Listeria monocytogenes-associated acute hepatitis in a liver transplant recipient

We report a case of Listeria monocytogenes bacteriemia with liver involvement mimicking acute viral hepatitis in a liver transplant recipient. The patient presented with fever, jaundice and alanine aminotransferase levels ten times the upper limit of normal. Liver biopsy showed signs of acute hepatitis and occasional granulomas. Both blood and liver biopsy cultures were positive for Listeria monocytogenes. The patient received a 3 week course of ampicillin and gentamicin with clinical and biochemical recovery. Liver involvement during Listeria infections is unusual, and most cases occur in patients with underlying hepatic disease and impaired cell-mediated immunity. To our knowledge only one such case has previously been reported in a liver transplant patient. Furthermore, in the present case we isolated the causal agent from the liver biopsy specimen.