Abstract

Authors investigated hepatocellular changes in a case of autopsy, 11-month-old female child, dying of Reye syndrome. Light imcroscopically, microvesicular fatty change of the liver was a characteristic finding. The hepatocytes were packed with small fatty droplets without nuclear form and demonstrated by using lipid stains on frozen sections. There was no cholestasis. The portal tracts had mild lymphocytes infiltration. Electron microscopically, mitochondria showed conspicuous abnormalities with reduction in number, pleomorphism, swelling and loss of cristae. Vacuolization and increased electron density of mitoctondrial matrix were observed. RER were decreased in number and had some vesicular change ana SER were dilated. Glycogen particles were rarely seen. nucleus showed some irregular border and clumping of chromatin along the nuclear membrane. Necleoli wert inconspicuous. Fat vacuoles were located in the central portion of cotoplasm and some were closed to nucleus. The size were 1∼2μm in diameter, relatively. Large concealed forms were also present, but were no over 5.5 μm in diameter. All fat vaculoles were rather solid than empty form. Biochemically, the compositions of lipids in liver cells revealed 79.6% of triglyceride, 3.8% of cholesterol, and 16.6% of phospholipid. Conclusively, changes of hepatocytes were thought as reversibleeven in this fatal case and components of fat vacuoles might be triglycerides mostly.