Acute Hepatitis and Pancytopenia in a Child With Chronic Abuse of Senna

Long-term use of Senna and its anthraquinone glycosides has been associated with the development of hepatotoxicity in both children and adults. Our case study aims to present, for the first time, acute hepatitis associated with pancytopenia in relation probably to liver and bone marrow toxicity in a three-year-old child suffering from chronic abuse of Senna. We report the case of a three-year-old girl with a history of chronic constipation regularly treated with drinkable preparations made from the Senna plant and hospitalized eight months ago with an almost similar and reversible clinical presentation, probably of toxic origin. She was admitted to a pediatric intensive care unit with severe acute hepatitis and profound pancytopenia. Her first physical examination revealed an unconscious child with a Glasgow score of 11/15, generalized hypotonia, bleeding from the gum lining, facial erythrosis with peeling cheeks, hair loss (telogen effluvium), erythematous lesions ulcers of the anal margin, and fever. The myelogram performed two days after admission revealed a rich regenerative bone marrow with signs of inflammation. Besides, she developed deep vein thrombosis three days after placing her femoral catheter. Pancytopenia in hospitalized children is a rare but alarming situation. In our case, malignancy was excluded, as well as a severe infection. The cause of pancytopenia could be related to the toxic effects of Senna. Chronic use of Senna may be associated with bone marrow and liver toxicity and lead to deep vein thrombosis.