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Acute Q fever hepatitis in Taiwan
Author(s) -
WU CHENGSHYONG,
CHANG KENGYUANG,
LEE CHINGSONG,
CHEN TONGJONG
Publication year - 1995
Publication title -
journal of gastroenterology and hepatology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 1.214
H-Index - 130
eISSN - 1440-1746
pISSN - 0815-9319
DOI - 10.1111/j.1440-1746.1995.tb01061.x
Subject(s) - medicine , q fever , jaundice , exacerbation , hepatitis , liver biopsy , chronic hepatitis , serology , acute hepatitis , fever of unknown origin , rickettsiosis , hepatitis a , immunology , biopsy , virology , virus , antibody
We report a case of a chronic hepatitis B carrier with an episode of acute hepatitis. The patient presented with a headache, arthralgias, jaundice and fever. While the laboratory tests mimicked chronic hepatitis B with an acute exacerbation, lipogranulomatous changes seen in the liver biopsy strongly suggested the presence of Q fever. Serology testing for Coxiella burneti proved positive and the patient responded to tetracycline therapy. While previously unreported in Taiwan, Q fever is important to consider in an atypical hepatitis presentation because it is a treatable condition.