A case of acute hepatitis caused by ingesting Dictamnus dasycarpus / 대한내과학회지

ABSTRACT

Few cases of hepatitis related to Chinese medicine have been reported in Korea. In such instances, since herbal medicines contain many ingredients, the component that causes the hepatitis to develop is unclear. A 55-year-old man was admitted with sudden-onset jaundice after taking the herbal medicine Dictamnus dasycarpus. The patient had consumed 70 g of alcohol daily and stopped drinking about a month earlier. The physical examination revealed no abnormalities other than scleral icterus. The patient's blood chemistry showed a total bilirubin of 16.0 mg/dL, an ALP of 288 IU/mL, an AST of 1,369 IU/L, and an ALT of 1,660 IU/L. The viral studies were all negative. A liver biopsy showed acute cholestatic hepatitis superimposed on chronic alcoholic fibrosis. This case suggests the development of hepatitis due to an herbal medicine (Dictamnus dasycarpus). Moreover, we recently experienced a case of acute hepatitis that developed after the consumption of Dictamnus dasycarpus.