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Case Reports
. 2019 Feb 22;11(2):e4121.
doi: 10.7759/cureus.4121.

Zieve's Syndrome: An Under-reported Cause of Anemia in Alcoholics

Omar Abughanimeh  1 , Anahat Kaur  1 , Laith Numan  1 , Waled Bahaj  1 , Sheshadri Madhusudhana  2
Affiliations
Case Reports

Zieve's Syndrome: An Under-reported Cause of Anemia in Alcoholics

Omar Abughanimeh et al. Cureus. .

Abstract

Anemia is a common finding in alcoholics. It is often multifactorial and caused by a combination of liver dysfunction, ineffective erythropoiesis, and poor nutrition. Zieve's syndrome (ZS) is a clinical syndrome that presents with a triad of jaundice, hemolytic anemia, and hyperlipidemia secondary to alcohol use. Herein, we present a case of a 58-year-old male with a history of liver cirrhosis who presented after a fall due to binge drinking and was found to have severe anemia. Workup was consistent with hemolytic anemia with no source of active bleeding. The patient was managed with supportive treatment and blood transfusions which improved his anemia. However, given his advanced liver disease, he developed encephalopathy and subsequently severe aspiration pneumonia. He died 18 days after admission.

Keywords: alcohol; anemia; hemolysis; hepatitis; jaundice; zieve's syndrome.

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Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Figures

Figure 1
Figure 1. Patient’s hemoglobin level (A) and total bilirubin level (B) during hospital stay
PRBC: Packed red blood cells; Hb: Hemoglobin; HD: Hospital day.
See this image and copyright information in PMC

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