TISSUE STORAGE OF COLLOIDS

In addition to renal elimination and gastrointestinal metabolism (amyl ase; splenic and hepatic dextranase) colloid plasma solutions like dex tran and hydroxyethyl starch deposit in tissues, especially in the ret iculoendothelial system (RES). This tissue storage is limited in time (weeks to months),is influenced by the employed solution and other fac tors (lysosomes) and has usually no clinical importance (no RES blocka de). We report here a case study of a patient with sepsis (lung,liver and kidney failure) who had an overload of the RES with colloids while being treated with dextran (molecular weight 40000 and 70000 daltons) and hydroxyethyl starch (mw 450000 daltons, molar substitution 0,7) f or 5 weeks. Autopsy showed parenchymal and reticuloendothelial cells o f liver,lung, kidney and spleen with a large amount of colloid mass in clusions and altered organ morphology. This storage may have impaired ventilation, transport of bile acids and renal function. A possible ro le of tissue storage of colloids in organ failure is discussed.