Abstract

Salmonella hepatitis is an infectious disease caused by liver involvement of salmonella enteritis and characterized by acute gastroenteritis and hypertransaminasemia. Levetiracetam is a new generation antiepileptic agent that activates the GABA-glycine system and may rarely cause hypertransaminasemia. An 11-year-old girl with epilepsy who had been taking levetiracetam for 15 months was consulted because of hypertransaminasemia with nausea-vomiting, fever and abdominal pain. The patient was diagnosed with salmonella enteritis. The clinical findings regressed with appropriate antibiotherapy but hypertransaminasemia lasted. The etiology of persistent hypertransaminasemia has been investigated. In addition to salmonella hepatitis, the use of levetiracetam was seen as causes but the drug was not discontinued. Normal liver enzyme levels were reached in the 12th weeks following Salmonella infection. Consequently, it is considered that before discontinuation of medication, salmonella hepatitis may be in differential diagnosis in patients who have acute gastroenteritis and hepatitis findings and also receiving levetiracetam.

Keywords: Hypertransaminasemia, Levetiracetam, Salmonella

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Copyright and license

How to cite

1.
Mısırlıgil M, Arslan M, Balam N. A Rare Cause of Hypertransaminasemia in a Child with Epilepsy Taking Levetiracetam: Salmonella Hepatitis. Turk J Pediatr Dis [Internet]. 2021 Mar. 30 [cited 2025 May 24];15(2):162-4. Available from: https://turkjpediatrdis.org/article/view/810