Pleural effusion as an extrahepatic manifestation of Hepatitis A infection in a child

Abstract

Acute viral hepatitis A is a common infection among children in developing countries. It is usually a self-limiting infection, but rarely can be associated with hepatic complications like fulminant liver failure as well as extrahepatic manifestations such as pleural effusion, acalculous cholecystitis, pancreatitis and acute kidney injury. Pleural effusion is an extremely rare extrahepatic complication reported in literature. We report here a case of a small child where acute viral hepatitis A was complicated by bilateral pleural effusion. The child was managed conservatively and showed complete resolution of the effusion.