Acute hepatic failure in a child treated with lamotrigine

An 8-year-old boy with a known seizure disorder that was being treated with lamotrigine developed acute hepatic failure. The patient, who had been well previously, presented with jaundice, elevated liver enzymes, and a coagulopathy. After discontinuation of lamotrigine and aggressive resuscitation, the patient made an uneventful recovery. We believe that the hepatic failure in our patient was secondary to the use of lamotrigine, We recommend careful monitoring of liver function when lamotrigine is administered. (C) 1998 by Elsevier Science Inc. All rights reserved.