[Acarbose-induced acute hepatitis. Report of two events in the same patient]

A 57-year-old woman with non-insulin-dependent diabetes mellitus and inadequate glycemic control was prescribed acarbose (100 mg 3 times daily). Two months later she presented with acute hepatitis (ALT 2,300 IU/l). Other causes of liver damage were excluded. Three months after acarbose had been discontinued, all results of laboratory tests returned to normal values. Three years later the patient was given acarbose again. Acarbose (100 mg three times daily) had been added to glibenclamide (15 mg daily) 2 weeks before she presented with acute hepatitis (ALT 2,778 IU/l). Acarbose was stopped and the results of liver tests returned to normal within 2 months. Of the eight cases of acarbose-associated hepatotoxicity previously reported, five (as well as the two presented herein) were Spanish. The latency period, from the start of drug therapy to the onset of liver injury, was relatively long (> 2 months). We suggest that acarbose be included in the list of drugs which may induce acute hepatitis.