Epigastric pain associated with herpes esophagitis: case report

BMC Infectious Diseases

Ziad Aljarad¹  M. Amin Akil²  Walid Haddad²  Ahmad Sankari Tarabishi²  Nabil Antaki³  Howayda Dabbas⁴ 

[1] Department of Internal Medicine, Faculty of Medicine, Aleppo University Hospital, University of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria;Faculty of Medicine, University of Aleppo, Aleppo, Syria;Gastroenterology Department, Aleppo, Syria;Pathology Department, Aleppo, Syria;

关键词: Herpes;    Esophagitis;    Case report;   

DOI  :  10.1186/s12879-020-05487-5

来源: Springer

【 摘 要 】

BackgroundHerpes esophagitis is uncommon disease caused by Herpes simplex virus (HSV). While the disease most often occurs in immunocompromised patients, including post-chemotherapy, immunosuppression with organ transplants, and in AIDS, Herpes esophagitis can also occur in immunocompetent individuals.Case presentationWe report a case of herpes esophagitis in a 72 year- old woman who was presumed to be immunocompromised following prolonged radiotherapy and chemotherapy for lymphoma. Her main symptom was epigastric pain.Upper endoscopy showed multiple rounded ulcers in lower esophagus. The diagnosis was confirmed histologically by multiple biopsies. The patient received Valacyclovir for 2 weeks and started to get better within 3 days of treatment.ConclusionAlthough there are few published cases of Herpes esophagitis disease in the medical literature, we recommend that this disease should be considered as one of the differential diagnoses when assessing immuno-compromised patients presenting with non-specific abdominal symptoms.

【 授权许可】

CC BY