Suspected carbamazepine-induced hepatotoxicity.

Carbamazepine is a potent anticonvulsant agent with proven efficacy in the treatment of partial and tonic-clonic seizures. An epileptic child treated with therapeutic dosages of carbamazepine developed severe hepatitis and hepatic insufficiency. She had a positive response to withdrawal of the drug and administration of corticosteroids. The Roussel UCLAF method for estimating causality of the adverse event was applied for an acute hepatocellular problem, with a final score of 8. This method has advantages over other tools because it involves many clinical factors that give additional guides to clinicians in patients with liver injury, but it must be adapted for adverse events in the pediatric population.