Liver and pancreatic injury induced by antituberculous therapy

Acute pancreatitis associated with multibacillary polychemotherapy for leprosy

Acute pancreatitis (AP) is an inflammatory disease associated with abdominal pain and elevated serum pancreatic enzymes. The most common etiologies are gallstones and alcoholism. Drug-induced AP is quite rare, lacks a solid understanding and has been occasionally reported. The diagnosis requires a great suspicion and a careful exclusion of other causes. We present a case of a 37-year-old man, previously diagnosed with leprosy that developed acute pancreatitis after starting the multibacillary polychemotherapy (PCT/MB). After a month of treatment and the discontinuation of the PCT/MB, the therapy was restarted and a new episode of AP occurred. Three months after this last episode, the PCT/MB was reintroduced, changing one of the medications and the patient had no recurrence of AP or other reactions. Therefore, it is important to take into account that there is a risk of acute pancreatitis in patients on multidrug therapy (MDT) for leprosy.

Drug induced pancreatitis: A systematic review of case reports to determine potential drug associations

OBJECTIVE

A current assessment of case reports of possible drug-induced pancreatitis is needed. We systematically reviewed the case report literature to identify drugs with potential associations with acute pancreatitis and the burden of evidence supporting these associations.

METHODS

A protocol was developed a priori (PROSPERO CRD42017060473). We searched MEDLINE, Embase, the Cochrane Library, and additional sources to identify cases of drug-induced pancreatitis that met accepted diagnostic criteria of acute pancreatitis. Cases caused by multiple drugs or combination therapy were excluded. Established systematic review methods were used for screening and data extraction. A classification system for associated drugs was developed a priori based upon the number of cases, re-challenge, exclusion of non-drug causes of acute pancreatitis, and consistency of latency.

RESULTS

Seven-hundred and thirteen cases of potential drug-induced pancreatitis were identified, implicating 213 unique drugs. The evidence base was poor: exclusion of non-drug causes of acute pancreatitis was incomplete or poorly reported in all cases, 47% had at least one underlying condition predisposing to acute pancreatitis, and causality assessment was not conducted in 81%. Forty-five drugs (21%) were classified as having the highest level of evidence regarding their association with acute pancreatitis; causality was deemed to be probable or definite for 19 of these drugs (42%). Fifty-seven drugs (27%) had the lowest level of evidence regarding an association with acute pancreatitis, being implicated in single case reports, without exclusion of other causes of acute pancreatitis.

DISCUSSION

Much of the case report evidence upon which drug-induced pancreatitis associations are based is tenuous. A greater emphasis on exclusion of all non-drug causes of acute pancreatitis and on quality reporting would improve the evidence base. It should be recognized that reviews of case reports, are valuable scoping tools but have limited strength to establish drug-induced pancreatitis associations.

REGISTRATION

CRD42017060473.

Practical guidelines for diagnosis and early management of drug-induced liver injury

The spectrum of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is both diverse and complex. The first step in diagnosis is a suspicion of DILI based on careful consideration of recent comprehensive reports on the disease. There are some situations in which the suspicion of DILI is particularly strong. Exclusion of other possible etiologies according to the pattern of liver injury is essential for the diagnosis. In patients with suspected DILI, diagnostic scales, such as the Councils for International Organizations of Medical Sciences/Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (CIOMS/RUCAM) scale, may be helpful for the final diagnosis. Early management of DILI involves prompt withdrawal of the drug suspected of being responsible, according to serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total bilirubin (T-Bil). However, as DILI patients may show resolution of liver injury without discontinuation of the drug, it should be carefully evaluated whether the suspected drug should be discontinued immediately with adequate consideration of the importance of the medication.

Practical guidelines for diagnosis and early management of drug-induced liver injury

The spectrum of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is both diverse and complex. The first step in diagnosis is a suspicion of DILI based on careful consideration of recent comprehensive reports on the disease. There are some situations in which the suspicion of DILI is particularly strong. Exclusion of other possible etiologies according to the pattern of liver injury is essential for the diagnosis. In patients with suspected DILI, diagnostic scales, such as the Councils for International Organizations of Medical Sciences/Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (CIOMS/RUCAM) scale, may be helpful for the final diagnosis. Early management of DILI involves prompt withdrawal of the drug suspected of being responsible, according to serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total bilirubin (T-Bil). However, as DILI patients may show resolution of liver injury without discontinuation of the drug, it should be carefully evaluated whether the suspected drug should be discontinued immediately with adequate consideration of the importance of the medication.

Practical guidelines for diagnosis and early management of drug-induced liver injury

The spectrum of drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is both diverse and complex. The first step in diagnosis is a suspicion of DILI based on careful consideration of recent comprehensive reports on the disease. There are some situations in which the suspicion of DILI is particularly strong. Exclusion of other possible etiologies according to the pattern of liver injury is essential for the diagnosis. In patients with suspected DILI, diagnostic scales, such as the Councils for International Organizations of Medical Sciences/Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (CIOMS/RUCAM) scale, may be helpful for the final diagnosis. Early management of DILI involves prompt withdrawal of the drug suspected of being responsible, according to serum levels of alanine aminotransferase (ALT), alkaline phosphatase (ALP), and total bilirubin (T-Bil). However, as DILI patients may show resolution of liver injury without discontinuation of the drug, it should be carefully evaluated whether the suspected drug should be discontinued immediately with adequate consideration of the importance of the medication.