Dengue fever presenting as acute liver failure--a case report

ABSTRACT

Dengue fever (DF) and dengue haemorrhagic fever (DHF) are important mosquito-borne viral diseases of humans and recognized as important emerging infectious diseases in the tropics and subtropics. Compared to nine reporting countries in the 1950s, today the geographic distribution includes more than 100 countries worldwide. Dengue viral infections are known to present a diverse clinical spectrum, ranging from asymptomatic illness to fatal dengue shock syndrome. Mild hepatic dysfunction in dengue haemorrhagic fever is usual. However, its presentation as acute liver failure (ALF) is unusual. We report a patient with dengue shock syndrome who presented with acute liver failure and hepatic encephalopathy in a recent outbreak of dengue fever in Delhi, India.