Ultra-Structure of The Liver in Propylthiouracil Induced Hepatitis

A case of cholestatic hepatitis occurring in a 50 year old woman treated with propylthiouracil for 1.5 months is presented. Physical examination showed generalized icterus and nodular goiter. Electron microscopic examination of liver biopsy revealed dilated smooth and rough endoplasmic reticulum, mitochondrial inclusions, excessive lipofuchsin granules and vacuolar formation both in the cytoplasm and nucleus of the hepatocytes. The ultrastructural changes in the liver have never been described in detail in propylthiouracil induced hepatitis previously. In this article the possible pathophysiology of the disease is discussed.