Tenoxicam-associated hepatic injury: a case report and review

Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis, A Serious Side Effect of Tenoxicam Use: A Case Report

Tenoxicam, a selective cyclooxygenase (COX)-2 inhibitor, has potent analgesic and anti-inflammatory effects and is frequently used for out-of-hospital pain control. Even though other non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs were incriminated in Stevens-Johnson syndrome (SJS) and toxic epidermal necrolysis (TEN) appearance, the literature is scarce regarding this agent. We report a case of tenoxicam-induced toxic epidermal necrolysis, detailing the multidisciplinary approach in a patient presenting skin detachment of 90% of the total body surface area, with concomitant ocular, oral, nasal, and vaginal mucosae involvement. A skin biopsy confirmed the diagnosis. The immediate cessation of the incriminated drug and rapid initiation of systemic steroids, along with topical therapies, and isolation into a specific environmental condition to limit skin infection were the cornerstones of therapeutic management. The patient was discharged with skin hyperpigmentation area and mild anxiety as long-term sequels. This report emphasized that severe or complicated cases should be transferred to a specialized burn center to reduce mortality risk and long-term morbidity.

Prolonged cholestasis and ductopenia associated with tenoxicam

Cholestatic liver diseases leading to progressive destruction of intra-hepatic bile ducts and ductopenia encompass multiple etiologies. Pathophysiology and natural history of drug-induced cholangiopathies remain unclear. We report a case of prolonged ductopenia attributed to Tenoxicam (Tilcotil o--a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug of the oxicam family) ingested at therapeutic dose. A 36 year-old male patient was admitted for jaundice and Lyell syndrome starting 1 week after the ingestion of Tenoxicam. Liver biopsy showed cholestasis, non-suppurative cholangitis and polymorphous inflammatory infiltrate of the portal tracts (round cells, macrophages an eosinophils). Treatment with ursodesoxycholic acid and cholestyramine was instituted and the patient was asymptomatic 1 year after. Three years later mild biological cholestasis persisted and ductopenia was evidenced on liver biopsy. In this report we found that: (1) The toxicity of tenoxicam was probably mediated by an immunoallergic mechanism (Lyell syndrome and eosinophils on histology); (2) ductopenia was secondary to inflammatory cholangitis. Factors responsible for this chronic evolution are still unknown (genetic predisposition, vascular factors, etc.); and (3) the presence of ductopenia contrasted with the "clinical recovery" of the disease suggesting accessory bile drainage by cholangioles or partial reconstruction of the biliary tree.

Hepatotoxicity associated with non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs

NSAIDs are one of most frequently prescribed agents in clinical practice. Whereas hepatotoxicity is a rare complication of most NSAIDs (typically 1 to 10 per 100,000 persons exposed), the high level of usage means that these drugs cause liver disease. Because of their divergent chemical structures, the mechanisms and clinicopathological manifestations of hepatotoxicity vary widely. The reactive metabolite syndrome, in which serious rash, eosinophilia, and other forms of tissue injury are common, may be incited by several NSAIDs, including newer agents. Women, people aged more than 50 years, and for some drugs, the type of arthritis, may be risk factors for drug-induced liver injury. The spectrum of NSAID-drug related hepatotoxicity continues to expand, with reports of interactive toxicity in adults with hepatitis C and recognition of rare cases of liver disease associated with non-selective, selective, and preferential COX-2 inhibitors. Better outcomes require people taking NSAIDs to be aware of possible drug reactions involving the liver, and prescribers should be vigilant for early symptoms of hepatotoxicity so that incriminated agents are discontinued promptly.