Vitamin A toxicity in a physical culturist patient: A case report and review of the literature

Abstract

Excessive intake of vitamin A may produce acute or chronic toxicity. Vitamin A can be consumed in foods, fortified products and supplements. We present a case of a young physical culturist man who was referred to our Unit because of chronic liver disease of unknown origin. The patient had a history of increased vitamin A intake from natural source with the addition of high dose of vitamin A supplements with the purpose of improving his muscular development. Our patient showed chronic liver disease with severe fibrosis, signs of portal hypertension and marked hyperplasia of Ito cells. In conclusion, chronic vitamin A toxicity may produce severe liver damage and should be recognized in the differential diagnosis of chronic liver diseases.

Keywords

• Hepatic stellate cells
• Ito cells
• portal hypertension
• liver fibrosis
• chronic hepatitis