[Acute liver failure and severe exertional heat stroke: uneasy management in Africa].

Exertional heat stroke (EHS) is a medical emergency defined as tissue injury secondary to a prolonged period of extreme hyperthemia during strenuous physical activity. In the vast majority of cases, EHS is associated with minimal liver involvement with no clinical manifestations. However acute hepatic insufficiency has been reported including a few cases treated by liver transplantation but with poor results suggesting that conservative management is preferable. The purpose of this report is to describe a patient who developed EHS with acute liver insufficiency and multiple organ failure in Djibouti. Despite the remote location and limited medical resources available, full recovery was achieved with conservative therapy and intensive care.