Papaverine-induced chronic liver disease.

The case history of a women with jaundice and laboratory evidence of chronic active hepatitis and cirrhosis is reported. The patient had taken papaverine for 6 yr for cerebral arterial disease. Jaundice improved after the drug was discontinued but reappeared when papaverine therapy was reintroduced. Antinuclear antibody and smooth muscle antibody were present. Clinical manifestations disappeared and laboratory results again returned to normal upon withdrawal of papaverine. This case suggests that papaverine should be added to the list of drugs known to produce chronic active hepatitis and cirrhosis.