Acute transient radiation hepatitis following whole abdominal irradiation

Sporadic cases or radiation hepatitis have been reported following doses above 3500 rad delivered in 3-4 weeks to the liver. The authors report their experience of radiation hepatitis in two out of 117 consecutive lymphoma cases treated with total abdominal irradiation. These two patients developed clinically overt manifestations which lasted for a short period of time and fully recovered. The dose delivered to the whole liver was 3000 rad in six weeks, but in one an additional 1000 rad in five fractions were delivered to the left lobe in an attempt to boost the dose to the central axis lymphatic system up to 4000 rad. The low incidence of radiation hepatitis and its reversible course, when 3000 rad in six weeks are delivered to the whole liver, is emphasised.