[Morphologic characteristics of disorders of liver function in myasthenia]

Clinico-morphological study of the liver was carried out in 54 patients with generalized severe myasthenia of 1 1/2-2-year duration. The functional values of the liver were studied before thymectomy and on the 1st post-operation day. Eight liver punctates were examined histologically and electron-microscopically. A picture of nonspecific reactive hepatitis whose clinical manifestations included hyperbilirubinemia, and disorder of the absorbing and excreting functions of the liver was revealed. Ultrastructural signs of cholestasis were found. The observed fibrosis of the organ was accompanied by hypertrophy and hyperplasia of lipocytes but without their manifest transformation into lipofibroblasts . Hypoplasia of hepatocytes was observed in myasthenia which may be due to their thymus-dependent inhibition. The mechanism of disturbance of pigment metabolism in the liver of patients with myasthenia is multi-component and may be associated with disorders in bile evacuation, hematotissue barrier, and probably, structural-functional incompetence of hepatocytes.