Fulminant hepatitis, possible virus origin: a report of seventeen cases in southern Thailand.

This report described seventeen patients suffering from fulminant hepatitis and had a rapid fatal course. They were all residents of Southern Thailand. Fourteen cases were recognized between April and August which is the beginning of the rainy season in this part of the country. All age groups were found with males slightly predominant. Clinical manifestation presented with fever and later developed jaundice, convulsion and other central nervous system symptoms, liver failure and acute renal failure. Four cases had pneumonia and another three cases had pleural effusion. Laboratory investigations revealed hyperbilirubinemia, marked increase in serum transaminases, a variable alkaline phosphatase level and electrolytes derangement. HBsAg was positive in only two of fourteen cases. Blood cultures and serological examination for infections were unfruitful. Histopathological changes of the liver were classified into three types; type 1 massive hepatocellular coagulation necrosis; type 2 massive scattered hepatocellular necrosis and type 3 massive bridging hepatocellular necrosis. Electron microscopy of five cases revealed spherical viral-like particles ranging in size 70 to 90 nm in diameter, in the cytoplasm of liver cells. This is believed to be a unique type of fulminant hepatitis, possibly viral in origin, and were clinically and pathologically different from the previously described fulminant viral hepatitis.