Drug-Induced Acute Liver Injury Within 12 Hours After Fluvastatin Therapy

Although statins are generally well-tolerated drugs, recent cases of drug-induced liver injury associated with their use have been reported. A 52-year-old Chinese man reported with liver damage, which appeared 12 hours after beginning treatment with fluvastatin. Patient presented with complaints of increasing nausea, anorexia, and upper abdominal pain. His laboratory values showed elevated creatine kinase and transaminases. Testing for autoantibodies was also negative. The liver biochemistries eventually normalized within 3 weeks of stopping the fluvastatin. Therefore, when prescribing statins, the possibility of hepatic damage should be taken into account.