Sunitinib-Induced Acute Liver Failure.
Anum Aqsa1, Sami Droubi1, Shivantha Amarnath1
1Department of Internal Medicine, Staten Island University Hospital, New York, New York, USA.
Case Reports in Gastroenterology
|February 22, 2021
Summary
Sunitinib, a cancer drug, can cause rare but fatal liver injury. This case report details a fatal outcome, emphasizing sunitinib-induced hepatotoxicity as a serious potential side effect.
Area of Science:
- Oncology
- Hepatology
- Cardiology
Background:
- Sunitinib is a tyrosine kinase inhibitor used for advanced gastrointestinal stromal tumors and pancreatic neuroendocrine carcinoma.
- Drug-induced liver injury (DILI) is a rare but serious adverse event.
- While sunitinib can cause transient liver enzyme elevations, fatal acute liver failure is exceptionally uncommon.
Observation:
- This report details a unique case of fatal acute liver failure and cardiomyopathy.
- The patient developed these severe complications within two weeks of initiating sunitinib therapy.
- This presentation is rare, with only five prior cases of sunitinib-induced acute liver injury documented.
Findings:
- Sunitinib therapy was associated with the rapid onset of severe hepatotoxicity.
- The patient experienced fatal acute liver failure and cardiomyopathy.
- This case underscores the potential for life-threatening liver injury from sunitinib.
Implications:
- Hepatotoxicity is a critical, potentially fatal side effect of sunitinib that requires careful monitoring.
- Clinicians should be vigilant for signs of liver injury in patients treated with sunitinib.
- Further research may be warranted to understand the mechanisms and risk factors for severe sunitinib-induced liver injury.
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