[Autoimmune hepatitis and lupus syndrome associated with minocycline]

Among several adverse effects following treatment with minocycline, certain cases of autoimmune hepatitis, associated with lupus erythematosus, have been described. The possibility of hepatic damage, although rare, is important to keep in mind because of its delicate diagnostic.

We report one case of autoimmune hepatitis following treatment with minocycline for acne, in a 25-year-old woman. This autoimmune hepatitis was associated with induced lupus syndrome. Usual causes of hepatitis were eliminated. Evolution was spontaneously favorable upon minocycline treatment interruption, with the disappearance of clinical symptoms and normalization of hepatic and immunologic biological values.

The possibility of hepatic damage and lupus syndrome, following treatment with minocycline, should be recalled and verified in cases of long-term prescription. This observation stresses the difficulties of anamnesis in internal medicine. For those who know how to listen cautiously and rigorously, anamnesis may prove more helpful than many complementary examinations.