MEASLES ASSOCIATED HEPATOBILIARY DISEASE - AN OVERVIEW

In this report the literature on all cases of documented measles with hepatobiliary disease was reviewed to describe the characteristics of measles associated hepatitis. We found 27 patients described. Their ag e ranged from 9 to 59 years. Male to female ratio excluding military f acilities was 1:1. The clinical and laboratory presentation appeared t o follow one of two patterns. The first was suggestive of hepatocellul ar dysfunction characterized by aminotransferase elevation. It was enc ountered in 24/27 cases, seven of them with atypical measles. This for m of liver disease tended to be asymptomatic. It appeared early and re solved in a few days. The second pattern was characterized by cholesta sis and jaundice. It was described in three cases. This type of hepati tis became apparent when measles began to recede and persisted for two weeks or longer. The variation in time of appearance of the two types of liver disease may imply distinct pathogenetic mechanisms.