Hepatic injury associated with amineptine therapy.
Cases are reported of two patients in whom acute hepatitis and cholestatic jaundice were induced by a tricyclic antidepressant, amineptine. A 29-year old woman received amineptine for 10 days before the onset of acute hepatitis. Slight jaundice and pruritus were preceded by fever, nausea and anorexia. The case is documented by a rapid return to normality of the liver function tests after amineptine was discontinued. We also report the case of a 55-year old woman to whom amineptine was administered for 4 weeks: she was admitted to our Department due to a 14-day history of pruritus and painless jaundice. Histological examination, in this case showed marked cholestasis without inflammatory infiltration. After suspending the treatment, it took 3 weeks for the liver function tests to return to normal. These observations, and the features of the cases published in the literature, suggest that amineptine can produce a wide spectrum of liver injuries, in different patients, taking the form of hepatocellular necrosis, cholestasis or a combination of both.
Ricca Rosellini
S
S
Divisione di Medicina Generale e Gastroenterologia, Ospedale G. B. Morgagni- L. Pierantoni, Forlì, Italy.
Grilli
F
F
Gaudio
M
M
Saragoni
A
A
Miglio
F
F
D000328:Adult; D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic / Q000009:adverse effects*; D003986:Dibenzocycloheptenes / Q000009:adverse effects*; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007565:Jaundice / Q000139:chemically induced*; D008099:Liver / Q000187:drug effects*; D008875:Middle Aged; D011537:Pruritus / Q000139:chemically induced
D000929:Antidepressive Agents, Tricyclic; D003986:Dibenzocycloheptenes; C011597:amineptin