Acute hepatitis due to etretinate

Abstract

A case of acute hepatitis is reported in a 62 year old woman who had been treated for severe psoriasis with the aromatic retinoid, etretinate. Her clinical condition and liver function tests continued to deteriorate after cessation of the drug, but there was a marked initial response to therapy with prednisolone. Liver biopsy showed hepatitis with focal necrosis. There was clinical and biochemical evidence of relapse when prednisolone was withdrawn after 4 months, necessitating a further 11 months of prednisolone therapy. Copyright © 1988, Wiley Blackwell. All rights reserved