ACUTE HEPATIC-FAILURE ASSOCIATED WITH THE USE OF SODIUM VALPROATE-A - REPORT OF 2 FATAL CASES

SODIUM valproate, a recently introduced anticonvulsant, is particularly useful in the management of absence seizures and has gained widespread popularity.1 Initial European studies reported infrequent side effects2 3 4; however, there have been undocumented reports of at least six cases of severe hepatotoxicity in patients from both the United Kingdom and the United States.5,6 Detailed clinical and pathological features of these cases have not been reported, but most patients had received multiple anticonvulsants in addition to sodium valproate. Five of them died in hepatic failure. In this report, we describe the development of acute hepatic failure associated with unusual hepatic histopathologic. © 1979, Massachusetts Medical Society. All rights reserved.