Corticosteroids can reverse severe imatinib-induced hepatotoxicity
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Updated: Aug 7, 2026

Robotic Duodenal Sleeve Resection for Gastrointestinal Stromal Tumor with Rare Exon 8 KIT Mutation Following Neoadjuvant Imatinib
Published on: April 3, 2026
Dario Ferrero1, Enrico Maria Pogliani, Giovanna Rege-Cambrin
1Divisione di Ematologia dell'Università degli Studi di Torino, Molinette Hospital, Turin, Italy. daferrero@yahoo.com
Background:
Imatinib can induce severe hepatotoxicity, in 1-5% of CML patients, many of whom need permanent imatinib discontinuation.
Design And Results:
We report 5 CML patients who developed grade 3-4 hepatotoxicity after 2-8 months in imatinib. Different aetiologies of liver damage were ruled out and toxicity recurred in 2 patients with further attempts at low dose imatinib. In all patients prednisone or methylprednisolone at 25- 40 mg/day resolved hepatotoxicity in 3-8 weeks and allowed imatinib to be resumed at full doses. Corticosteroid were tapered off in 3-5 months without hepatotoxicity recurrence.
Conclusions:
Corticosteroid may avoid discontinuation for hepatotoxicity of the most effective anti-CML therapy.
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