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©2008 The WJG Press and Baishideng. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Aug 28, 2008; 14(32): 5098-5099
Published online Aug 28, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.5098
Published online Aug 28, 2008. doi: 10.3748/wjg.14.5098
Serious drug-induced liver disease secondary to ezetimibe
José Castellote, Javier Ariza, Rosa Rota, Anna Girbau, Xavier Xiol, Hepatology and Liver Transplant Unit, Idibell, Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge, Barcelona 08907, Spain
Author contributions: Castellote J and Xiol X substantially contributed to the design of the study; Ariza J, Rota R and Girbau A helped write the manuscript and made intellectual corrections.
Correspondence to: Dr. José Castellote, PhD, Hepatology and Liver Transplant Unit, Idibell, Hospital Universitario de Bellvitge, C/Feixa Llarga s/n, L’Hospitalet de Llobregat, Barcelona 08907, Spain. jcastellote@csub.scs.es
Telephone: +34-93-2607516 Fax: +34-93-2607883
Received: May 15, 2008
Revised: June 23, 2008
Accepted: June 30, 2008
Published online: August 28, 2008
Revised: June 23, 2008
Accepted: June 30, 2008
Published online: August 28, 2008
Abstract
Ezetimibe is the first member of a new family of lipid-lowering drugs that inhibits uptake of dietary and biliary cholesterol. It was approved by the FDA in 2002 for hypercholesterolemia alone or in combination with statins. Its use has been spreading over the last years. Ezetimibe was considered a safe drug. We report a case of a woman who developed a serious hepatocellular drug-induced liver disease after 4 mo therapy with 10 mg daily of ezetimibe. After withdrawal of the drug, the patient recovered slowly. Ezetimibe may produce serious toxic hepatitis and prompt withdrawal is mandatory in case of a significant abnormality in liver testing after beginning or during treatment with ezetimibe.
Keywords: Ezetimibe, Hepatitis, Drug-induced liver disease