Idiopathic granulomatous hepatitis

Idiopathic granulomatous hepatitis is a rare medical condition characterized by granulomas in the liver, recurrent fever, myalgia, and fatigue. The condition is not a true hepatitis, and some experts believe it is a variant of sarcoidosis.

Signs and symptoms
Idiopathic granulomatous hepatitis is marked by granuloma in the liver and recurrent fevers. Fatigue and weight loss are other common symptoms.

Causes
Granulomas in the liver often correspond to a systemic illness that the patient had previously been diagnosed with. Liver granulomas, however, could be a symptom of an unidentified systemic illness or they might not have a discernible underlying cause.

Diagnosis
Establishing the diagnosis can be difficult because it needs to rule out other conditions that can cause hepatic granulomas, like lymphoma, sarcoidosis, drug allergies, and infections by fungi or mycobacteria.

Treatment
Idiopathic granulomatous hepatitis is treated with methotrexate along with additional immunosuppressive medications such as vinblastine, cyclophosphamide, and chlorambucil.