Long-term follow-up of patients with mild to moderate drug-induced liver injury.

AIM

To evaluate the long-term prognosis of patients diagnosed with drug-induced liver injury, and the nature of the liver injury.

METHODS

Patients with a diagnosis of drug-induced liver injury between 1994 and 2005 were identified in a university hospital clinic. Patients surviving drug-induced liver injury-associated liver failure were excluded.

RESULTS

Seventy-seven cases were identified and those who were alive (69) were invited to attend follow-up. Of those patients who had died, none had died of liver disease. Of those patients who had survived, 59 were reviewed in the clinic. Patients had a median follow-up of 48 months. Before the diagnosis of drug-induced liver injury, nine had a chronic liver disease, four with autoimmune hepatitis, two with non-alcoholic liver disease, one each with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease, primary biliary cirrhosis and primary sclerosing cholangitis. There was no evidence of progression of their liver disease during follow-up. Among 50 patients without a known liver disease prior to the drug-induced liver injury, 10 had abnormal liver tests. Diagnostic work-up revealed alternative cause of liver disease in all except three patients (6%), who had asymptomatic abnormal liver tests (but normal bilirubin in all).

CONCLUSIONS

Chronic abnormalities in liver tests, not explained by an identified liver disease, are very rare in patients previously diagnosed with drug-induced liver injury. This group of patients did not seem to have a clinically significant liver injury at long-term follow-up.