Positive Outcome in Catastrophic Momordica charantia-Associated Herb-Induced Liver Injury: A Tale of Two Cities - From Gonaives, Haiti to New York City

Herb-induced liver injury (HILI) is a global concern due to the uptrend in Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). The authors add to the current literature by reporting a case of a 61-year-old man with recent travel to Haiti. His past medical history include hepatitis C virus treated in 2021 with a sustained virologic response (SVR). He presented with profound weakness and abnormal liver transaminases in the thousands. It was initially unclear what the etiology of the patient’s hepatocellular necrosis was, however, the level of abnormality was most consistent with either toxic metabolic injury or vascular ischemic injury. We initiated N-acetylcysteine and vitamin K and had a positive outcome. Upon further questioning, he admitted to consuming an herbal product cleansing tea called “asowosi” in large quantities. We searched the botanical name of the extract and found the active ingredient was Momordica charantia. The team utilized the updated Roussel Uclaf Causality Assessment Method (RUCAM), and the results demonstrated a highly probable relationship with M. charantia.