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Varicella–zoster virus hepatitis in polymyositis

  • Case Report
  • Published:
Modern Rheumatology

Abstract

A 31-year-old woman had recurrent mild flare-ups of polymyositis for years. Fourteen days after low-dose methotrexate was added in an attempt to taper the corticosteroid, she began to feel abdominal and lower back pain, followed by generalized pustulosis, severe liver dysfunction, and disseminated intravascular coagulation. On the diagnosis of varicella–zoster virus (VZV) hepatitis, acyclovir, immune globulin and plasmapheresis were given with a favorable outcome. Physicians should be aware that VZV infection could complicate severe hepatitis in immuno-suppressed patients.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medicine and Rheumatology, Graduate School, Tokyo Medical and Dental University, 1-5-45 Yushima, Bunkyo-ku, Tokyo, 113-8519, Japan

    Fumitaka Mizoguchi, Satsuki Nakamura, Hideyuki Iwai, Tetsuo Kubota & Nobuyuki Miyasaka

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  1. Fumitaka Mizoguchi
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  2. Satsuki Nakamura
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  3. Hideyuki Iwai
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  4. Tetsuo Kubota
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  5. Nobuyuki Miyasaka
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Correspondence to Nobuyuki Miyasaka.

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Mizoguchi, F., Nakamura, S., Iwai, H. et al. Varicella–zoster virus hepatitis in polymyositis. Mod Rheumatol 18, 301–305 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s10165-008-0049-9

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/s10165-008-0049-9

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