Amiodarone is an amphiphilic, iodinated,
benzofuran derivative that is known to be effective for refractory
ventricular tachyarrhythmia.
Amiodarone also is known to cause a variety of side effects, related to its accumulation in multiple organs. The deposition of
amiodarone and its metabolite,
desethylamiodarone (DA), in liver elevates liver function tests and increases liver attenuation on computed tomography (CT). Although several groups have reported increased liver attenuation in patients receiving chronic
amiodarone therapy, there is still no clear statistically significant relationship between liver CT attenuation and the cumulative dose of
amiodarone, or between plasma levels of
amiodarone and DA. CT scans were originally performed for the evaluation of
pulmonary fibrosis in 13 patients (7 men and 6 women; mean age, 69.9 years, range 35 to 86 years) receiving chronic
amiodarone therapy. Liver CT attenuation tended to increase in these patients. We found no significant correlation between liver CT attenuation and the cumulative dose of
amiodarone. However, the CT attenuation of the liver was correlated significantly with the plasma level of
amiodarone and DA. It was also suggested that liver CT scan is a useful means of evaluating the plasma levels of
amiodarone and DA, and for estimating their deposition in liver.