Hepatotoxicity by thalidomide: case report and literature review
DOI:
https://doi.org/10.52784/27112330.152Keywords:
thalidomide, toxicity, hepatitis, cholestasis, ursodeoxycholic acid, N-acetylcysteine.Abstract
Thalidomide was developed and introduced to the market by Grünenthal laboratories in 1953, being used mainly as a sedative and also for the treatment of nausea during pregnancy. Reports give account of approximately 10,000 children who were born with phocomelia, giving rise to the so-called “thalidomide tragedy”, which forced its withdrawal from the market in 1962. After almost 60 years, it is used again in other fields of medicine, including the treatment of leprosy and multiple myeloma, due to its anti-inflammatory, immunomodulatory and anti-angiogenic properties, with clear warnings about its use during pregnancy; however, multiple adverse effects have been reported in patients with leprosy and multiple myeloma, including acute or chronic hepatitis. We present the case of a 34-year-old patient with leprosy, who had been on thalidomide therapy for 4 years to treat skin lesions associated with this disease. She presented general malaise, vomiting, weight loss, arthralgia, jaundice, lower limb edema, ascites, choluria and acholia. Thalidomide toxicity was suspected, so its use was suspended, and treatment with ursodeoxycholic acid and N-acetylcysteine was initiated, with symptomatic and laboratory improvement from the first week up until 41 days of follow-up. The new range of medical conditions for which thalidomide was approved for in 1998 may bring clinical challenges. This case shows chronic hepatotoxicity due to thalidomide, a situation that had not been reported previously in the literature.
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