[Anticonvulsant drugs and liver damage (Author's transl)]

540 autopsies of institutionalized epileptics who had been treated with anticonvulsant drugs were evaluated as to type and frequency of pathological changes in the liver and compared with a control series of 270 nonepileptics. A specific liver-toxicity of antiepileptic drugs, or combination of drugs, could not be established. Thus, only in 3 cases, one of which was fatal, was a relationship found between anticonvulsant drug therapy and liver damage. Therefore, there seems to be no reason to discontinue anticonvulsant therapy or to reduce the usual dose for fear of causing liver damage. On the other hand, it was found that tuberculosis may have adverse effects upon the liver of patients undergoing anticonvulsant drug therapy. From 41 cases of active tuberculosis we found 13 with severe liver damage, 3 of which were fatal. 10 patients had, and 3 had not, received antituberculosis chemotherapy.