[Toxic hepatitis and liver failure under therapy with flutamide]

Abstract

Flutamide is an antiandrogen and frequently used for the treatment of prostatic cancer. Severe hepatotoxicity occurs in few patients but may be fatal. We report on two patients with prostatic cancer who received a therapy with flutamide. They showed different degrees of liver damage. One patient recovered completely after withdrawal of Flutamide under medication with steroids. Clinical symptoms and laboratory findings returned to normal within four weeks. Despite immediate withdrawal of Flutamide, the other patient showed a severe course with progressive liver dysfunction and hepatorenal syndrome. He finally died under the clinical picture of fulminant hepatic coma. This case represents the first death associated with flutamide in Germany. The literature concerning the metabolism of flutamide and the published cases of hepatotoxicity of this drug are reviewed.