Liver pathology in hycanthone hepatitis.

Histological examination of liver tissue from 3 patients who died 6, 4, and 9 days, respectively, after an intramuscular injection of 3 +/- 0.5 mg of hycanthone per kg of body weight for schistosomiasis, showed features of a toxic hepatitis with massive hepatic necrosis, many acidophil bodies and minimal inflammatory response in 2 patients, and confluent necrosis with early fibrosis in 1. Liver cells showed prominent fatty change. The former 2 patients had evidence of schistosomal granulomatous hepatitis. A follow-up liver biopsy in a 4th patient who had had hycanthone hepatitis with liver failure 1 year before showed good recovery with features of chronic persistent hepatitis.