Epstein-barr virus infection with acute acalculous cholecystitis

Abstract

Acute acalculous cholecystitis (AAC) is an inflammation of the gallbladder in the absence of demonstrated stones. AAC is frequently associated with severe systemic inflammation. However, the exact etiology and pathogenesis of AAC still remain unclear. Acute infection with Epstein Barr virus (EBV) in childhood is usually aymptomatic, whereas it often presents as typical infectious mononucleosis symptoms such as fever, cervical lymphadenopathy, and hepatosplenomegaly. AAC may occur during the course of acute EBV infection, which is rarely encountered in the pediatric population. AAC complicating the course of a primary EBV infection is usually associated with a favorable outcome. Most of the patients recover without any surgical treatment. Therefore, the detection of EBV in AAC would be important for prediction of better prognosis. We describe the case of a 10-year-old child who presented with AAC during the course of primary EBV infection, the first in Korea, and review the relevant literature.

Keywords: Acalculous cholecystitis; Ebstein-Barr virus.

Fig. 1

Abdominal sonography taken (A) on admission, showing gallbladder wall thickening of 6 mm in a striated pattern without any definite echogenic stone, and (B) on hospital day 2, showing diffuse edematous wall thickening of the gallbladder. The hepatic parenchymal echo was normal without focal lesion.