Propylthiouracil-associated liver failure presenting as probable autoimmune hepatitis in a child with Graves' disease

Pediatr Transplant. 2006 Jun;10(4):525-8. doi: 10.1111/j.1399-3046.2006.00487.x.

Abstract

This case describes a young girl with Graves' disease, who presented with fulminant hepatic failure 9 months into propylthiouracil (PTU) therapy. Her clinical presentation was consistent with 'probable autoimmune hepatitis,' as defined by the International Autoimmune Hepatitis Group scoring system. Despite discontinuation of PTU and high-dose steroid therapy, she required liver transplantation. Subsequent pathology could not definitively rule out autoimmune hepatitis. PTU is an important cause of drug-related liver failure in children, and clinicians should be mindful that it is frequently used in patients who already have an underlying risk of autoimmune liver disease.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Antithyroid Agents / therapeutic use*
  • Cadaver
  • Child
  • Female
  • Graves Disease / drug therapy*
  • Hepatitis, Autoimmune / etiology*
  • Humans
  • Length of Stay
  • Liver Failure / etiology*
  • Liver Failure / pathology
  • Liver Transplantation
  • Propylthiouracil / therapeutic use*
  • Treatment Outcome

Substances

  • Antithyroid Agents
  • Propylthiouracil