[Acute myelitis and viral hepatitis: about a case].

Hepatitis A virus can manifest with severe and unusual neurological attack. We report the case of a 59-year old man with balance disorder associated with lower limb paresthesias and sphincter disorders. Spinal MRI was in favor of acute myelitis. Etiologic assessment showed viral hepatitis A (HVA) -specific IgM virus as the sole abnormality. Despite high-dose corticosteroid therapy, only partial recovery was seen. A systematic etiologic search for infection caused by hepatitis A virus (HAV) should be performed in every patient with acute myelitis even in the absence of clinical or biological signs suggestive of hepatitis, especially in endemic countries where vaccine prophylaxis is lacking.