[Hypoglycemia - aglycemia in virus hepatitis (author's transl)].

In a 64-year old woman with a histologically confirmed Au-SH antigen negative acute virus hepatitis with an otherwise normal course, an extreme hypoglycemia lasting four days developed in the florid stage, and was treated with intravenous glucose drips. In spite of the supply of 130 g/24 hrs glucose on the 2nd day of hypoglycemia, the fasting blood sugar level next morning was 0 mg% ("aglycemia"). The hypoglycemia ran a course without autonomic or psychoneurological symptoms. As the hepatitis regressed, the carbohydrate metabolic disorder regained its equilibrium. It is assumed that this was a hepatogenic hypoglycemia. This may have reduced the glycogen reserves in the liver, also partly as a result of minimal diet, disturbed the gluconeogenesis and glycolysis and slowed the breakdown of insulin.