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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
PubMed

Insights

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.
Keywords:
Acute liver failureSunitinibTyrosine kinase inhibitors

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