A 64-Year-Old Woman With Posttransplant Hepatitis

Abstract

Abstract Abnormal liver function tests and nonspecific histopathologic findings are relatively common in the post–liver transplant setting. Whereas some cases remain idiopathic and many resolve spontaneously, some carry a risk of chronicity and long-term liver dysfunction including cirrhosis, graft loss, and death. Accurate assessment and follow-up of such findings are therefore crucial in this population. We report a case of a 64-year-old woman who underwent liver transplantation for chronic hepatitis C infection with cirrhosis. Several months after transplantation, she underwent a liver biopsy as part of a workup for abnormal serologic studies and transaminase elevation. The biopsy showed nonspecific hepatitis. Eventually, additional serologic testing demonstrated hepatitis E viral infection. Causes of hepatitis and other forms of posttransplant liver disease, including hepatitis E, are discussed.