title: Carbamazepine-induced hepatitis in a patient with cervical myelopathy.
abstract: Carbamazepine is a drug commonly used in the treatment of neuropathic pain. It is an iminostilbene derivative that is extensively metabolized by the liver. We describe a 66-year-old man with dysesthetic pain from cervical myelopathy who developed cholestatic hepatitis, skin rash, and eosinophilia after carbamazepine was administered for 5 weeks (total dose of 18.9gm). Withdrawal of carbamazepine led to complete resolution of both clinical and biochemical abnormalities within 3 weeks. Clinicians should be alert to this rare complication because it can be confused clinically with biliary tract sepsis and viral hepatitis.
authors.affiliation: Deparment of Physical Medicine, Tan Tock Seng Hospital, Singapore.
authors.forename: K H
authors.initials: KH
authors.lastname: Kong
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002220:Carbamazepine / Q000009:adverse effects*; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000209:etiology*; D002779:Cholestasis / Q000139:chemically induced; D003875:Drug Eruptions / Q000209:etiology*; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000139:chemically induced*; D006801:Humans; D016859:Lipoxygenase Inhibitors / Q000009:adverse effects*; D008297:Male; D009134:Muscular Atrophy, Spinal / Q000150:complications / Q000601:surgery; D009437:Neuralgia / Q000188:drug therapy* / Q000209:etiology
chemical_list: D016859:Lipoxygenase Inhibitors; D002220:Carbamazepine