Autoimmune hepatitis after COVID-19 infection.

ABSTRACT

We report the case of a 58-year-old male patient presenting with clinical and laboratory findings indicative of acute hepatitis. Abdominal ultrasound excluded biliary tract abnormalities. Two weeks prior, the patient had contracted COVID-19. Viral hepatitis was ruled out, and the presence of autoantibodies was confirmed. Liver biopsy findings were consistent with autoimmune hepatitis and grade 1 fibrosis. Initial treatment with budesonide was ineffective, leading to a switch to prednisone, with maintenance therapy comprising prednisone and azathioprine. COVID-19 infection may act as a trigger for the development of autoimmune hepatitis.