A rare case of Reye's syndrome induced by influenza A virus with use of ibuprofen in an adult

Abstract

Background: Reye's syndrome (RS) is a rare but severe acute life-threating disease characterized by encephalopathy and fatty liver damage. Reye's syndrome is most common in children and rarely occurs in adults.

Case presentation: A 56-year-old woman was admitted to the emergency department with disturbance of consciousness and respiratory failure. She had taken ibuprofen for headache. Her Glasgow Coma Scale score was E3V3M5 on admission. The laboratory findings revealed acute liver failure with prothrombin time - international normalized ratio of 3.16, aspartate aminotransferase 12,548 IU/L, alanine aminotransferase 5,725 IU/L, and blood ammonia 102 μg/dL. Head magnetic resonance imaging showed hyperintense signals on diffusion-weighed images of globus pallidus.We diagnosed the patient with RS induced by influenza A and use of ibuprofen. The patient received supportive care in the intensive care unit and her clinical outcome was favorable.

Conclusion: Ibuprofen might be a risk factor for RS.

Keywords: Acute liver failure; ER; Reye's syndrome; encephalopathy; influenza A.