©The Author(s) 2015. Published by Baishideng Publishing Group Inc. All rights reserved.
World J Gastroenterol. Mar 7, 2015; 21(9): 2816-2819
Published online Mar 7, 2015. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i9.2816
Published online Mar 7, 2015. doi: 10.3748/wjg.v21.i9.2816
N-acetylcysteine treats intravenous amiodarone induced liver injury
Matthew L Mudalel, Steven F Solga, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenteorlogy, St. Luke’s University Hospital and Temple School of Medicine, Bethlehem, PA 18015, United States
Kartikeya P Dave, Department of Medicine, Montefiore Medical Center, Bronx, NY 10461, United States
James P Hummel, Department of Medicine, Division of Cardiology, University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill, NC 27514, United States
Author contributions: Mudalel ML, Dave KP, Hummel JP and Solga SF co-wrote manuscript, edited manuscript, produced illustrations; Hummel JP and Solga SF interpreted data.
Correspondence to: Steven F Solga, MD, Chief of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Division of Gastroenteorlogy, St. Luke’s University Hospital and Temple School of Medicine, 701 Ostrum St. Suite 604A, Bethlehem, PA 18015, United States. stevesolga@gmail.com
Telephone: +1-610-8663900 Fax: +1-610-8668140
Received: April 16, 2014
Peer-review started: April 16, 2014
First decision: May 13, 2014
Revised: October 7, 2014
Accepted: November 18, 2014
Article in press: November 19, 2014
Published online: March 7, 2015
Processing time: 327 Days and 12 Hours
Peer-review started: April 16, 2014
First decision: May 13, 2014
Revised: October 7, 2014
Accepted: November 18, 2014
Article in press: November 19, 2014
Published online: March 7, 2015
Processing time: 327 Days and 12 Hours
Core Tip
Core tip: Intravenous (IV) amiodarone drug induced liver injury (DILI) is uncommon, and difficult to distinguish from ischemic hepatitis or congestive hepatopathy. Further, the pathophysiology is uncertain. IV N-acetylcysteine (NAC) is often used empirically as a treatment for idiopathic hepatitis or DILI. We report a case of rapid improvement of liver enzymes in a suspected case of IV amiodarone DILI with IV NAC, suggesting at least some shared features between the pathogenic mechanisms of the former and the therapeutic actions of the latter.