SULFASALAZINE-INDUCED FULMINANT HEPATIC-FAILURE

We report two cases of massive hepatic necrosis associated with sulfasalazine. Both patients had underlying inflammatory bowel disease. One of the patients had a history of an ill-defined autoimmune disorder (Sjogren's syndrome). Symptoms and signs of a generalized hypersensitivity reaction were present in both patients. One patient died of a subarachnoid hemorrhage while awaiting transplant, the second died 2 weeks after transplant from disseminated aspergillosis. These two cases remind us of one of the potential hazards of sulfasalazine at a time when alternative therapies are now available.