Abstract

MORALES M, Laura; VELEZ L, Natalia  and  MUNOZ M, Octavio Germán. Hepatotoxicity: A Drug-Induced Cholestatic Pattern. Rev Col Gastroenterol [online]. 2016, vol.31, n.1, pp.36-47. ISSN 0120-9957.

Although drug induced liver disease is a rare condition, it explains 40% to 50% of all cases of acute liver failure. In 20% to 40% of the cases, the pattern is cholestatic and is caused by inhibition of the transporters that regulate bile synthesis. This reduction in activity is directly or indirectly mediated by drugs and their metabolites and/or by genetic polymorphisms and other risk factors of the patient. Its manifestations range from biochemical alterations in the absence of symptoms to acute liver failure and chronic liver damage. Although there is no absolute test or marker for diagnosis of this disease, scales and algorithms have been developed to assess the likelihood of cholestatic drug induced liver disease. Other types of evidence are not routinely used because of their complexity and cost. Diagnosis is primarily based on exclusion using circumstantial evidence. Cholestatic drug induced liver disease has better overall survival rates than other patters, but there are higher risks of developing chronic liver disease. In most cases, the patient’s condition improves when the drug responsible for the damage is removed. Hemodialysis and transplantation should be considered only for selected cases. The effectiveness of other therapies is unproven. This article will delve into the pathophysiology, biochemistry, and histopathology and the clinical presentation of the disease and will discuss diagnosis, management and prognosis of this type of cholestasis.

Keywords : Cholestasis; drug; liver disease; drug-induced liver disease.

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