Korean J Hepatol.
2001 Jun;7(2):195-200.
A Case of Severe Chronic Active Epstein-Barr Virus Infection with Hepatic Involvement Confirmed by In Situ Hybridization
- Affiliations
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- 1Department of Internal Medicine, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea. hch@www.amc.seoul.kr
- 2Department of Pathology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
- 3Department of Clinical Pathology, University of Ulsan College of Medicine, Asan Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
Abstract
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Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is associated with diverse clinical manifestations. Hepatic involvement by EBV can cause a broad spectrum of histologic and clinical features ranging from acute hepatitis through lymphoproliferative disorders to lymphoma. However, severe chronic active EBV infection with hepatic involvement in adults is quite rare. EBV infection can be demonstrated by serologic test or molecular biologic techniques. In situ hybridization can demonstrate the EBV infection. It has the advantage of precise localization of the virus in infected tissues or tumors. Here we will describe a 46-year-old female who was admitted to our hospital because of general weakness, ready fatiguing, and jaundice. A bone marrow biopsy revealed reactive histiocytosis with hemophagocytosis. A liver biopsy revealed lymphocyte infiltration to portal areas and sinusoids, periportal and pericellular fibrosis, mild cholestasis, and micro-and macro-vesicular fatty change. Although the results of the serologic tests were inconclusive, in situ hybridization studies which were performed on liver biopsy tissue revealed the expression of Epstein-Barr virus-encoded RNA 1 transcripts in lymphocytes infiltrating to hepatic sinusids.