Unknown etiology of acute hepatitis: invasive liver flukes

Bahaa Osman Taha1 , Essam Abdel Mohsen 1 1Assiut University Internal Medicine Gastroenterology Unit Corresponding author: Bahaa Osman Taha, Lecturer of Internal Medicine. Address: Egypt, Assiut, Elgamaa Street, postal code: 71515. Email: bahaa_osman99@aun.edu.eg. Doi: 10.21608/ajgh. 2025.392731.1084. Submit Date: 08-6-2025. Revise Date: 25-08-2025. Accept Date: 16-09-2025. Background Fasciola hepatica is a rare infectious zoonotic disease that seldom manifests as acute hepatitis. We present a case from Upper Egypt, specifically in Manfalout, Assiut, a region known to be endemic for fascioliasis. The patient, a 25-year-old male, displayed symptoms such as anorexia, vomiting, malaise, right hypochondrial pain, and fever, and was initially diagnosed with acute hepatitis. We carefully examined a patient with isolated acute hepatitis who had high levels of ALT and AST and normal levels of bilirubin and ALP to rule out viral hepatitis, autoimmune hepatitis, and Wilson's disease. Radiological findings, including abdominal ultrasound and MRCP, revealed mild hepatomegaly and a thick gallbladder wall with no dilated biliary channels. There was eosinophilia, elevated C-reactive protein, and a high titre of fasciola antibody, suggesting fascioliasis. A single dose of albendazole at 10 mg/kg showed a significant response, resulting in an improvement in liver enzymes and a marked improvement in all reported manifestations.

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