Acute hepatitis complicating intravenous amiodarone treatment

Abstract

We describe a case of acute hepatitis after a loading dose of intravenous amiodarone. An 83-year-old woman was admitted in emergency for recent-onset atrial fibrillation associated with left ventricular failure. Twenty-four hours after having started parenteral amiodarone, she developed biochemical alterations indicative of severe hepatic cytolysis associated with impairment of the synthetic capacity which rapidly reverted after suspension of the drug. No clinical sign or symptom of hepatopathy was noted except for mild icterus. A review of the literature regarding amiodarone-related hepatotoxicity is reported.