Peliosis hepatis as a late and fatal complication of thorotrast liver disease. Report of five cases.

Five autopsy cases of peliosis hepatis occurring as a late complication of thorotrast (ThO2) liver disease are described. The liver contained many blood-filled cystic spaces of various sizes. Marked sinusoidal dilatation, disruption of cell cords and reticulin fiber framework, and cystic dilatation of sinusoids seem to represent the developmental stages of peliosis hepatis in sequence. Of the five cases, two had no other liver disease except for hepatic fibrosis, and the other three had associated neoplasms, such as angiosarcoma, hepatocellular carcinoma, cholangiocarcinoma, benign hemangioma, and their combinations. Peliosis hepatis seemed to have directly contributed to the patient's death in four cases. The most characteristic clinical feature was the fulminant terminal course with massive ascites, deep jaundice, and hepatic failure, often accompanied by hepatorenal syndrome and tendency to hemorrhage. Liver function study suggested progressive hepatic insufficiency with reduction in serum albumin, prothrombin and the clearance rate for test dyes, and increase in bilirubin. Clinical diagnosis was almost impossible without biopsy.