Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms syndrome following cholestatic hepatitis A: a case report

Korean J Hepatol. 2012 Mar;18(1):84-8. doi: 10.3350/kjhep.2012.18.1.84. Epub 2012 Mar 22.

Abstract

Hepatitis A virus (HAV) infections occur predominantly in children, and are usually self-limiting. However, 75-95% of the infections in adults are symptomatic (mostly with jaundice), with the illness symptoms usually persisting for a few weeks. Atypical manifestations include relapsing hepatitis, prolonged cholestasis, and complications involving renal injury. Drug rash with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms (DRESS) syndrome is a severe, drug-induced hypersensitivity reaction characterized by skin rash, fever, lymph-node enlargement, and internal organ involvement. We describe a 22-year-old male who presented with acute kidney injury and was diagnosed with prolonged cholestatic hepatitis A. The patient also developed DRESS syndrome due to antibiotic and/or antiviral treatment. To our knowledge, this is the first report of histopathologically confirmed DRESS syndrome due to antibiotic and/or antiviral treatment following HAV infection with cholestatic features and renal injury.

Keywords: Acute kidney injury; DRESS syndrome; Drug hypersensitivity; Hepatitis A.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Acute Kidney Injury / diagnosis
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / adverse effects*
  • Anti-Bacterial Agents / therapeutic use
  • Cefotaxime / adverse effects
  • Cefotaxime / therapeutic use
  • Cholestasis / complications
  • Cholestasis / diagnosis*
  • Cytomegalovirus / genetics
  • Cytomegalovirus Infections / drug therapy
  • Cytomegalovirus Infections / virology
  • DNA, Viral / analysis
  • Eosinophilia / etiology
  • Exanthema / chemically induced*
  • Exanthema / pathology
  • Ganciclovir / therapeutic use
  • Hepatitis A / complications
  • Hepatitis A / diagnosis*
  • Hepatitis A / drug therapy
  • Humans
  • Hydrocortisone / therapeutic use
  • Immunoglobulins / therapeutic use
  • Male
  • Syndrome
  • Young Adult

Substances

  • Anti-Bacterial Agents
  • DNA, Viral
  • Immunoglobulins
  • Cefotaxime
  • Ganciclovir
  • Hydrocortisone