Alfuzosin-induced acute hepatitis in a patient with chronic liver disease.
OBJECTIVE
To report a new case of probable alfuzosin-induced hepatitis.


METHODS
An 80-year-old man was evaluated because of jaundice and pruritus. He was diagnosed as having Child-Pugh A chronic liver disease due to hepatitis B virus. Other etiologies of hepatitis were appropriately ruled out, and the hepatitis B was non-replicative. Therefore, elevated liver enzyme levels were ascribed to alfuzosin treatment.


CONCLUSIONS
Although alfuzosin-related mixed-type hepatotoxicity has been previously reported, this is the first published case describing probable hepatocellular-type hepatotoxicity resulting from use of alfuzosin in a patient with underlying chronic liver disease. According to the Naranjo probability scale, alfuzosin was a probable cause of the hepatotoxicity. The mechanism of alfuzosin-induced liver damage is unknown. Several features, such as absence of predictable dose-dependent toxicity of alfuzosin in previous studies and absence of hypersensitivity manifestations in our case, are suggestive of a metabolic type of idiosyncratic toxicity.


CONCLUSIONS
Alfuzosin rarely causes hepatotoxicity; however, clinicians must be alert for this adverse effect while using alfuzosin.
Department of Gastroenterology, Türkiye Yüksek Ihtisas Hospital, Ankara, Turkey. omerfarukyolcu@hotmail.com, gskoklu@yahoo.com
Omer Faruk
OF
Yolcu
Seyfettin
S
Köklü
Aydin S
AS
Köksal
Osman
O
Yüksel
Yavuz
Y
Beyazit
Omer
O
Basar
D000208:Acute Disease; D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists / Q000009:adverse effects*; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D056486:Chemical and Drug Induced Liver Injury / Q000209:etiology*; D019694:Hepatitis B, Chronic / Q000150:complications*; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000201:enzymology / Q000378:metabolism; D008111:Liver Function Tests; D008297:Male; D011799:Quinazolines / Q000009:adverse effects*
D000317:Adrenergic alpha-Antagonists; D011799:Quinazolines; C047638:alfuzosin