SEVERE HEPATOTOXICITY ON BEGINNING PROPYLTHIOURACIL THERAPY

We report a case of propylthiouracil (PTU)-induced cholestatic hepatot oxicity in Graves' disease that developed 1 day after beginning PTU. A fter clinical recovery, liver abnormalities persisted for 5 years. Per cutaneous liver biopsy and the eventual normalization of enzyme levels excluded permanent liver damage as a result of PTU therapy. Thus prol onged elevation of serum enzymes is consistent with the diagnosis of P TU-induced hepatotoxicity, which may recover completely.