Reyes Syndrome free essay sample

An introduction to Reyes Syndrome a rare childhood disease. Reyes syndrome is primarily a childhood disease. It is most commonly seen in children during or after recovery from a viral disease like chickenpox or influenza. The paper covers many issues relating to the disease including its discovery, causes, symptoms, diagnosis and treatment. Interestingly, simply relying on laboratory data for the diagnosis of Reyes syndrome can be potentially troublesome. Increased ammonia levels, while seen in Reyes syndrome, are also noted in severe heart failure, hemolytic disease of the newborn, hepatic encephalopathy and primary liver cell disease. Increased levels of GGT are noted in Reyes syndrome, but are also seen in cirrhosis, hepatitis, liver tumor or metastasis, and drug-induced liver injury. Further, increase GGT levels may indicate heart attack, ingestion of alcohol, pancreatitis and infectious mononucleosis (Flores).