LIVER INVOLVEMENT IN SYSTEMIC INFECTION

The liver is heavily involved in the vast majority of systemic infecti ons. Pathophysiological mechanisms involved in hepatic involvement in generalized sepsis require further study, as does the importance of ba cterial infection in the presence of cirrhosis. Although parasitic inv olvement is theoretically dominated by Plasmodium spp., in clinical pr actice Entamoeba histolytica, Schistosoma spp. and Echinococcus spp. i nfections are far more important. Hepatobiliary involvement is also a feature of Ascaris lumbricoides, Fasciola hepatica and 'oriental' chol angiohepatitis. Various bacteria (including Mycobacterium tuberculosis , Treponema pallidum and Salmonella spp.) and viruses (e. g., cytomega lovirus, Herpes simplex and dengue) also cause significant hepatic inv olvement. A high index of suspicion for infection is required in paedi atric hepatology.