PATHOLOGY OF THE LIVER IN LEUKEMIA AND LYMPHOMA - A STUDY OF 110 AUTOPSIES

Histopathological findings in the liver in a series of autopsies on 11 0 patients suffering from leukaemia or lymphoma were reviewed. No trea tment had been given to 23 patients, 50 had received chemotherapy alon e, 23 chemo- and radiotherapy and 14 underwent bone marrow transplanta tion. The 23 untreated patients showed neoplastic infiltration in 10 ( 44%) and fibrosis in 16 cases (70%). The 14 bone marrow recipients sho wed mainly acute necrosis, zonal in six (43%) and focal in one (7%), a nd cholestasis in five (36%), together with marked siderosis in 11 (79 %). Patients receiving chemotherapy or chemo-/radiotherapy showed simi lar changes consisting of neoplastic infiltration in 14 (28%) and in f ive (22%) cases respectively, and fibrosis in 31 (62%) and 17 (74%) ca ses respectively. Steatosis was seen in 70% of cases in the chemo-/rad iotherapy group and in 50% of cases in the other groups. Infections we re seen in all groups, particularly in the chemotherapy group (four fu ngal and two bacterial including one tuberculosis) and in the chemo-/r adiotherapy group (one fungal and one bacterial). Cytomegalovirus infe ction was seen only in the bone marrow transplant group.