Liver injury caused by metoprolol is very rare with current reports limited to an isolated elevation in transaminases. We report the first case of severe icteric liver injury leading to hepatic encephalopathy secondary to metoprolol use in a patient diagnosed with coronary heart disease. We also describe the histopathology of metoprolol-related liver injury, discuss mechanisms of injury with new insights on the immunological phenomenon, and shed light on the successful utility of early plasmapheresis as a salvage therapy in metoprolol-induced severe liver damage.
Keywords: beta blockers; dili; hepatocellular injury; idiosyncratic reaction; liver injury; plasma exchange.