Clinical and Medical Case Reports

Toxic Hepatitis Due To Ingesting Ferula Communis (Giant Fennel); Case Series

Abstract

Caliskan AR1 *, Harputluoglu MMM2 , Slocum A3 , Kutlu R4 and Yilmaz S5

Awareness of the potential hepatotoxic effects of herbal preparations and dietary supplements is increasing. The drug-induced liver injury network (DILIN) states that herbal and dietary supplements (HDS) account for 16% of DILI cases, and this rate, which was 7% in 2004-2005, is estimated to increase to 20% in 2013-2014. In our series of 6 cases, 5 of the patients were from the same family, and there was a 4-month pregnant patient. One day after eating ferula communis, the patients were taken to the emergency room due to nausea, vomiting, and abdominal pain. The current hepatitis tables were evaluated as the hepatocellular pattern. Intravenous (i.v.) hydration and acetylcysteine 3x1 ampule iv. were administered to the patients. Two sessions of plasmapheresis were performed for one of the patients who had a presentation of fulminant hepatitis. An improvement was observed in the clinical presentation of the patients and their laboratory findings during follow-ups. The patients were discharged after an average of five days of follow-up. Wild plant consumption should also be questioned in patients being followed up with acute hepatitis or food poisoning clinics.