Perihepatitis associated with salpingitis in adolescents.

Perihepatitis, one manifestation of complicated gonorrhea, is infrequently diagnosed and reported. This study was undertaken to examine the incidence of gonococcal perihepatitis in adolescents as well as to study the effect, if any, of this condition on tests of liver function. Accordingly, the records of 137 adolescents with salpingitis were evaluated. Right upper quadrant tenderness or hepatic enlargement was noted in 27, while amino transferase level elevations were observed in 19 of the 59 in whom these tests were performed. All findings resolved promptly following initiation of intravenous penicillin therapy. The observation of hepatic dysfunction in 27% of these adolescents suggests that perihepatitis occurs more frequently than reported in adults and should be considered in the evaluation of the conditions of adolescents with salpingitis or upper abdominal tenderness.