[Self-limited steatorrhea and chronic autoimmune hepatitis type I. The Group for the Study of Viral Hepatitis and AIDS].

Active chronic hepatitis is very infrequent in Spain. Its autoimmune pathogenesis is supported by the coexistence of autoimmune features, its usually good response to immunosuppressive treatment and the frequent coexistence of other processes of autoimmune etiology. The infrequent cases of steatorrhea observed may usually be found in the presence of severe colostasis or in association with other diseases such as celiac disease. The presence of sever anemia is also infrequent being observed on hemolysis of digestive bleeding. A case of autoimmune type I chronic hepatitis observed in a 14-year old woman presenting as acute hepatitis associated to severe anemia (Hb, 6,3 g/dl) and self-limited steatorrhea independent of the clinical course of the hepatic picture (stool fats of up to 100 g/24 h) with no evidence of hemolysis, digestive bleeding, obvious colostasis, drug ingestion or demonstrable intestinal or pancreatic disease. The coexistence of these unusual findings led the authors to report this case.