Unusual obliterative disease of the hepatic veins in an infant

Abstract

Hepatic fibrosis with obliterative lesions of the small hepatic veins occurred in a three month old infant with fatal congenital leukaemia treated with cytostatic drugs. The vascular changes were characterized by an unusual, hitherto unreported angiomatoid, proliferation of the endothelium. The process is compared with the more common subendothelial-fibrous type of the "veno-occlusive disease". An etiological interpretation is difficult, possibly the process is a secondary reaction to the endothelial to a cytostatic-induced lesion with hepatic fibrosis.