Hepatic lesions in lepromatous patients.

In spite of the increase in knowledge derived from hepatic biopsy in recent years, studies on hepatic morphopathology in leprosy are not numerous. Some investigations, however, (1 , 3, G, 8.9, ]2, 14, 15, 16, 17,18, 19, 20) have dealt with the description of hepatic lesions in leprosy and the frequency with which they occur. Others (2, 4.5. 7. 11 etc.) have attempted to establish more concrete anatomicoclinical relationships and to obtain results that are of practical importance in understanding hepatic lesions. A review of these studies indicates (1) that hepatic involvement is frequent in lepromatous leprosy and deserves attention by leprologists, (2) that hepatic involvement in tuberculoid, dimorphous and indeterminate forms is inconstant, of little or no speci6city, and therefore doubtful, and finally (3) that a knowledge of hepatic morphopathology can be useful for understanding the evolution of disease in leprosy patients. These possibilities have stimulated us to review our autopsy material with a view to bringing our experience to bear on the problem of hepatic morphopathology in leprosy.