Hépatite B occulte : un diagnostic à ne pas méconnaître

We report a case of occult hepatitis B (OHB), fortuitously discovered in a patient from Cameroun, hospitalized for acute renal failure with ascite. A viral serology check-up allowed the detection of isolated anti-HBc antibodies, which motivated a viral load of hepatitis B virus DNA by real-time PCR. It was positive at 162 IU/ml. The patient was treated with entecavir, prednisone and furosemide with a favorable clinical and biological course after 8 weeks of treatment. There is no consensus on screening for OHB but some situations, justified this research. In our case, the geographical origin, the presence of ascite and isolated anti-HBc antibodies justified the search for an OHB.