CANALICULAR CHOLESTASIS DUE TO AMIODARONE TOXICITY - A DEFINITE DIAGNOSIS OBTAINED BY ELECTRON-MICROSCOPY

A case of jaundice due to canalicular cholestasis during amiodarone th erapy is reported. A definite diagnosis was attained by ultrastructura l evidence of a phospholipidosis pattern, a characteristic amiodarone- induced injury. Jaundice occurred within the third month of therapy. S erum bilirubin levels continued to increase in the two weeks following drug withdrawal. A slow decrease was observed in the following three months. Only four cases of jaundice associated with amiodarone therapy have been reported until now.