A case of alcoholic hepatitis diagnosed by a liver biopsy and successfully treated by corticosteroid therapy

A 50-year-old man with a history of alcohol intake exceeding 80 g/day was admitted because of severe liver dysfunction and high fever. A rapid increase of transaminase with remittent high fever was observed several days after admission. Abdominal CT scan demonstrated a 22×20 mm mass in segment 8, highly suggestive of hepatocellular carcinoma. However, because the etiology of the liver dysfunction was still unknown, we performed a liver biopsy on the sixth day. Histological examination of the liver specimen showed marked granulocyte infiltration, Mallory bodies, and hepatocyte ballooning, all consistent with alcoholic hepatitis. We made a final diagnosis of alcoholic hepatitis and successfully treated him with corticosteroids. This case suggests that a liver biopsy has diagnostic value in alcoholic hepatitis, especially in cases in which the diagnosis is uncertain.     

A case of Q fever after liver transplantation

Coxiella burnetii, the causative agent of Q fever, is a zoonosis that causes both acute and chronic disease in humans. Few cases have been reported in solid organ transplant recipients, and this case highlights the need to include Q fever in the differential diagnosis for fever of unknown origin in solid organ transplant hosts.     

Non-A, non-B hepatitis: characterization of liver biopsy pathology

We reviewed 40 liver biopsy specimens from 36 patients with non-A, non-B (NANB) hepatitis by light microscopy to characterize the histopathologic features associated with this condition. NANB hepatitis had been acquired from intravenous drug use (6 patients), transfusion (11 patients), sporadic (13 patients), and other routes (6 patients). The major pathologic diagnoses included acute hepatitis, chronic persistent hepatitis, chronic lobular hepatitis, chronic active hepatitis with or without cirrhosis, and hepatocellular carcinoma. Histopathologic changes seen in varied combinations in these specimens included acidophilic degeneration of hepatocytes (100%), fat (85%), formation of portal tract lymphoid aggregates or follicles (52%), bile duct damage (30%), and multinucleate giant hepatocytes (25%). Prominence of sinusoidal cells was variable, but often striking. Hepatocyte atypia (liver cell dysplasia) was noted in 17 specimens. These histologic parameters appear to be diagnostically useful when applied in appropriate clinical settings and will require reevaluation when serologic tests for NANB hepatitis become available.     

A case of hepatitis E differentially diagnosed from drug-induced liver injury

A woman in her seventies was admitted because of general fatigue and liver dysfunction (ALT 2565 IU/l). She was diabetic and, 2 months ago, began eating kikuimo (Jerusalem artichoke) containing inulin, which is thought to decrease blood sugar level. Although tests showed no evidence of acute infection of HAV, HBV, HCV, EBV and CMV, a drug-induced lymphocyte stimulation test using kikuimo extract was positive. She was first diagnosed with drug-induced liver injury according to the Japanese diagnostic criteria for the disease. After a non-eventful recovery, her serum was found to be positive for hepatitis E-antibody and RNA (genotype 3), indicating recent, autochthonous infection of HEV. The patient might have been misdiagnosed with drug-induced liver injury unless the serum test for HEV had been performed. We believe that HEV screening is mandatory for accurate diagnosis of hepatitis E and drug-induced liver injury.     

Chronic Q fever hepatitis complicated by extensive fibrosis

Liver involvement is common in acute and chronic Q fever and consists of nonspecific hepatitis and granulomas without fibrosis. We report the case of a patient suffering from chronic Q fever with nonspecific hepatitis and granulomas, in whom progressive development of extensive liver fibrosis was documented by repeated biopsies.     

A case of tuberculous peritonitis diagnosed by ultrasonography-guide peritoneal biopsy

The diagnosis of tuberculous peritonitis is quite difficult because the symptoms are not specific for the disease and the incidence of occurrence are relatively rare. We report a case of tuberculous peritonitis diagnosed by ultrasonography-guided peritoneal biopsy. A 64-year-old male was admitted to our hospital because of fever, dyspnea and abdominal pain. Laboratory findings revealed an elevated ESR (53 mm/1 hr.) and positive CRP. The tuberculin skin test was negative. The chest radiograph revealed bilateral pleural effusion. Abdominal ultrasonographic examination and computed tomography showed ascitic fluid, thickening of the mesentery and peritoneum, and inflammatory pseudotumor of the omentum. Ascitic fluid was exudate with a high lymphocyte count and elevated ADA (184 IU/l). Microbiological studies with the fluid were negative. Peritoneal biopsy guided by ultrasonography was performed, and the specimens showed central caseous necrosis surrounded by epitheloid cells and acid-fast bacilli were demonstrated. The size of the pseudotumor, pleural effusion and ascites decreased after antituberculous chemotherapy with corticosteroid was given. Diagnosis of tuberculous peritonitis has often been made by laparotomy or laparoscopy. In a case of this kind, percutaneous peritoneal biopsy guided by ultrasonography is safe and useful.     

Acute Q fever hepatitis in Taiwan

Abstract 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.     

A case of multifocal chronic Q fever osteomyelitis

Chronic Q fever can be difficult to diagnose because of a variety of non-specific clinical presentations. Chronic Q fever osteoarticular infections have rarely been reported in the literature. We describe here an unusual multifocal osteomyelitis due to Coxiella burnetii in an adult.     

A case of necrotizing sarcoid granulomatosis diagnosed by open lung biopsy

A 32-year-old female complained of productive cough and bloody sputum. Infiltrative shadows and cavitary lesions with thick and irregular wall in the bilateral lung fields and the swelling of mediastinal lymph nodes were pointed out on the chest radiography. Physical examination revealed no abnormal findings. ESR and the level of the serum angiotensin converting enzyme were slightly elevated. In the BAL (broncho-alveolar lavage) fluid, lymphocytes and neutrophils increased, and the OKT4/OKT8 ratio of the lymphocytes was 0.81. Open lung biopsy revealed numerous sarcoid granulomas with granulomatous vasculitis in the cavity wall, surrounding infiltrative lesions and hilar lymph nodes. After the administration of prednisolone, the infiltrative shadows and the cavitary lesions showed marked improvement. It was concluded that open lung biopsy is necessary for the diagnosis of NSG because the differential diagnosis between NSG and limited form of Wegener's granulomatosis is extremely difficult from such a small lung specimen as that obtained by trans-bronchial lung biopsy.     

A case of eosinophilic heart disease diagnosed by endomyocardial biopsy findings

A rare case of early stage eosinophilic heart disease was diagnosed by endomyocardial biopsy findings, despite the relatively low peripheral eosinophil blood count (640/mm3).     

A case of pulmonary intravascular lymphomatosis diagnosed by thoracoscopic lung biopsy

Intravascular lymphomatosis with primary pulmonary lesion is an extremely rare disease. Although the major clinical symptoms include fever, cough, dyspnea and loss of body weight, these are not diagnostic. Chest radiograph findings are also nonspecific and include bilateral reticular shadow, reticulonodular shadow, ground-glass opacity or wedge-shaped subpleural opacities. Therefore, the antemortem diagnosis is relatively difficult. It is considered that intravascular lymphomatosis is a high-grade malignant lymphoma. However, it has been shown recently that a good response and long-term survival may possibly be obtained through systemic combination chemotherapy. We report a case of intravascular lymphomatosis with primary pulmonary lesion where an early diagnosis was obtained through thoracoscopic lung biopsy and subsequent systemic chemotherapy proved to be quite effective. Because the clinical symptoms or chest radiograph findings are usually nonspecific, it was thought that thoracoscopic lung biopsy could be a useful procedure for early and reliable diagnosis of primary pulmonary intravascular lymphomatosis and that it might contribute to an improved prognosis.