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Case Reports
. 2019 Feb 15:8:187.
doi: 10.12688/f1000research.18198.1. eCollection 2019.

Case Report: Levetiracetam causing acute liver failure complicating post-operative management in a neurosurgical patient

Sharanya Jayashankar  1 , Sunil Munakomi  1 , Vignesh Sayeerajan  1 , Prakash Kafle  1 , Pramod Chaudhary  1 , Jagdishchandra Thingujam  1 , Deepak Poudel  1 , Iype Cherian  1
Affiliations
Case Reports

Case Report: Levetiracetam causing acute liver failure complicating post-operative management in a neurosurgical patient

Sharanya Jayashankar et al. F1000Res. .

Abstract

Background: Herein we report a rare case of acute liver failure due to levetiracetam, which has been considered to have an excellent safety profile with minimal hepatic side effects. Case presentation: A 55-year-old male patient presenting with sudden onset dizziness, slurring of speech and headache was operated for posterior fossa cerebellar hematoma. His post-surgical period was complicated by development of icterus with elevation of liver enzymes. After ruling out common inciting factors, it was decided to stop levetiracetam which was given prophylactically for preventing seizures owing to presence of external ventricular drain. From the next day patient had dramatic improvement in liver functions and sensorium. Conclusions: We would like to highlight this side effect that is potentially life threatening, though rare, of levetiracetam, which is very commonly used in today's practice and fast superseding all other time-tested antiepileptics.

Keywords: Levetiracetam; anti-epileptics; hepatotoxicity.

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Conflict of interest statement

No competing interests were disclosed.

Figures

Figure 1.
Figure 1.. Changes in liver enzymes subsequent to stoppage of levetiracetam over a period of days (x-axis).
Figure 2.
Figure 2.. Changes in the bilirubin (mg/dl) subsequent to stoppage of levetiracetam over a period of days (x-axis).
See this image and copyright information in PMC

References

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