A case of indocyanine green excretion defect worsened during acute hepatitis following sudden deafness

A 28 years-old male was transferred to our Department from the Department of Otolaryngology, Kyushu University Hospital because of abnormal liver function. He was admitted to the Department under the diagnosis of sudden deafness. On admission SGOT was 165 U/L and SGPT 405 U/L. On the 25th day, delayed excretion of indocyanine green (ICG R15 was 15%) was noted. Excretion defect of ICG became prominent (ICG R15, 45% to 78% and then to 100%) along with recovery from acute hepatitis. Sulfobromophthalein test remained normal during the course. Diagnosis of posthepatitic ICG excretory defect could not be done for this case because ICG test was not done before the onset of the hepatitis. Abnormal retention of ICG of his parents, 13% and 17% at 15min, surggests the genetic predisposition for ICG excretory defect in this patients.