Chronic active hepatitis and giant multinucleated hepatocytes in adults treated with clometacin.

The authors report the cases of 2 adults who became jaundiced during prolonged administration of clometacin, a new analgesic drug. Jaundice and serum aminotransferase activity progressively increased while the drug administration was continued but quickly decreased when it was eventually interrupted. 1 patient resumed the intake of clometacin and died with jaundice and ascites. In both patients, liver lesions were those of severe chronic active hepatitis with numerous giant multinucleated hepatocytes.