Acute-on-chronic liver failure with complicating pancreatitis after autochthonous hepatitis E infection

Abstract

Hepatitis E virus infection (HEV) is the most common cause of acute viral hepatitis in the world. Genotypes 1 and 2 are responsible for large outbreaks and sporadic cases in the developing countries, whereas genotypes 3 and 4 are zoonotic infections and cause sporadic autochthonous disease with usually mild course in the immunocompetent host without preexisting liver damage. Acute pancreatitis is acknowledged as an extrahepatic complication of acute viral hepatitis, most often related to acute hepatitis A to C. More than 50 cases of HEV-associated acute pancreatitis are reported from South Asia where HEV genotype 1 prevails. The current study reports the case of an 85-year-old male with autochthonous acute HEV infection, which progressed into acute-on-chronic liver failure (ACLF) and was complicated by severe acute pancreatitis. This case underlines autochthonous HEV infection as a cause of multiple organ failure in patients with pre-existing liver disease and suggests an association with acute pancreatitis. Clinicians should be aware of life-threatening complications of autochthonous HEV infection, especially in patients with cirrhosis.