Cholestatic liver injury after prolonged exposure to methyldopa. 1989

A Moses, and D Zahger, and G Amir
Department of Internal Medicine, Hadassah University Hospital, Mt. Scopus, Jerusalem, Israel.

We describe a 75-year-old patient who presented with severe cholestatic liver disease. He had been receiving methyldopa, 250 mg daily, for 6 years. An extensive evaluation failed to reveal extrahepatic obstruction or serologic evidence of viral hepatitis. A liver biopsy disclosed marked cholestasis, without hepatitis, and was compatible with a rare form of methyldopa-induced liver injury. Cessation of drug treatment was followed by a slow but complete recovery. Cholestasis is a rare manifestation of methyldopa hepatotoxicity. Although methyldopa-associated liver injury usually appears after about 4 weeks of treatment, a history of a much longer exposure does not exclude this entity.

UI MeSH Term Description Entries
D008099 Liver A large lobed glandular organ in the abdomen of vertebrates that is responsible for detoxification, metabolism, synthesis and storage of various substances. Livers
D008297 Male Males
D008750 Methyldopa An alpha-2 adrenergic agonist that has both central and peripheral nervous system effects. Its primary clinical use is as an antihypertensive agent. Methyldopate,alpha-Methyldopa,Aldomet,Alphamethyldopa,Apo-Methyldopa,Dopamet,Dopegit,Dopegyt,Dopergit,Hydopa,Meldopa,Nu-Medopa,Sembrina,alpha-Methyl-L-Dopa,Apo Methyldopa,Nu Medopa,alpha Methyl L Dopa,alpha Methyldopa
D002779 Cholestasis Impairment of bile flow due to obstruction in small bile ducts (INTRAHEPATIC CHOLESTASIS) or obstruction in large bile ducts (EXTRAHEPATIC CHOLESTASIS). Bile Duct Obstruction,Biliary Stasis,Bile Duct Obstructions,Biliary Stases,Cholestases,Duct Obstruction, Bile,Duct Obstructions, Bile,Obstruction, Bile Duct,Obstructions, Bile Duct,Stases, Biliary,Stasis, Biliary
D006801 Humans Members of the species Homo sapiens. Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000368 Aged A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available. Elderly
D001706 Biopsy Removal and pathologic examination of specimens from the living body. Biopsies

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