Fulminant hepatitis after carbimazole and propranolol administration

Abstract

We report the case of a patient who developed jaundice, encephalopathy, a marked increase in serum aminotransferase activity and a decrease in prothrombin and proaccelerin levels, after 6 weeks' treatment with carbimazole and propranolol for hyperthyroidism. The patient ultimately underwent orthotopic liver transplantation. This case strongly suggests that carbimazole may occasionally induce fulminant hepatitis and that careful monitoring of liver enzymes may be useful during the treatment of hyperthyroidism with this drug.