[Hepatotoxicity of rifampicin and isoniazid in the treatment of tuberculous meningitis (author's transl)].

Thirty four children with tuberculous meningitis were treated with rifampicin (mean, 17 mg/kg/day) and isoniazid (mean, 18 mg/kg/day). Fifteen (44%) showed rise in transaminase GOT and GPT values and four cases (11.7%) developed jaundice, hepatomegaly and low prothrombin levels. Rifampicin was removed in only nine of these 15 cases with signs of liver disfunction, but complete normalization of liver function and disappearance of symptoms occurred in all cases even when the treatment was not interrupted. Children are more sensitive to hepatic injury during rifampicin and isoniazid combination therapy than adults. Our results indicate very good prognosis for this hepatopathy and suggest that rifampicin need not be withdrawn in the benign situations. Removal of the rifampicin treatment may delay recovery of serious cases of tuberculous meningitis.