[Fatal toxic hepatitis associated with administration of dantrolene (author's transl)]

A 50 year-old female diabetic patient with disseminated sclerosis presented fatal cholestatic hepatitis about ten weeks after the initiation of dantrolene therapy (600 mg/day). Clinical findings, biochemical results and the appearance of hepatic biopsy are described and compared with other cases reported to date. Hypotheses regarding the hepatotoxicity of dantrolene and essential precautions to be taken when using this medication are deduced.