title: Fulminant hepatic failure secondary to hydroxychloroquine.
abstract: Hydroxychloroquine is widely used in rheumatological disease but hepatic side effects have not been reported previously. Two cases are described of fulminant hepatic failure developing after the start of hydroxychloroquine treatment for a chronic rheumatological disorder. In both cases the symptoms of liver disease developed within two weeks of starting hydroxychloroquine and rapidly progressed to fulminant hepatic failure and in neither case was there any pre-existing liver disease. One patient had emergency orthotopic liver transplantation and the other died before a donor organ became available.
authors.affiliation: Institute of Liver Studies, King's College Hospital, London.
authors.forename: A J
authors.initials: AJ
authors.lastname: Makin
authors.forename: J
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Wendon
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Fitt
authors.forename: B C
authors.initials: BC
authors.lastname: Portmann
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Williams
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D017809:Fatal Outcome; D005260:Female; D006501:Hepatic Encephalopathy / Q000139:chemically induced* / Q000601:surgery; D006801:Humans; D006886:Hydroxychloroquine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D016031:Liver Transplantation
chemical_list: D006886:Hydroxychloroquine