[Drug-induced liver damage from the clinical viewpoint]

Extensive drug-induced hepatic injury leading up to jaundice occurs relatively rarely. Generally it is not predictable, independent on dosage and irreproductible in animals. As a rule you find it in less than 0.1% of the patients taking the drug, whereas the degree may range up to heavy or lethal (e.g. for isoniazid, methyldopa, halothane). Pathogenetically reactive metabolites capable of producing cytotoxic and/or immune reactions may play a role. Obviously higher age, female sex and endogenous or exogenous alterations in hepatocellular drug metabolism are disposing factors. Drugs, to which our patients most frequently reacted, were dihydralazine alone or in combination with propranolol, and ketophenylbutazone. The lymphocyte transformation test proved diagnostically valuable although it cannot be considered to represent a generally reliable testing method for drug-induced liver disease. Clinical, laboratory and histological findings are typical with a wider range of drugs, but liver biopsy provides the most reliable criteria. Clinical suspicion and stopping the intake of potentially noxious drugs are of importance. The reexposition test should be reserved to exceptional cases.