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Talc in liver tissue of intravenous drug abusers with chronic hepatitis. A comparative study.
- Source :
-
American journal of clinical pathology [Am J Clin Pathol] 1989 Nov; Vol. 92 (5), pp. 583-8. - Publication Year :
- 1989
-
Abstract
- To determine the frequency of talc microcrystals in liver tissue of intravenous (IV) drug abusers and the significance of this finding, the authors reviewed, with light and polarizing microscopy, sections of liver tissue from 70 patients with chronic hepatitis and a history of active (45) or past (25) IV drug abuse. Birefringent crystalline particles consistent with talc were found in 44 cases (63%), 31 associated with active and 13 with past drug abuse. The microcrystals were situated predominantly in hypertrophied portal macrophages; there were no well-formed granulomas. Scanning electron microscopic and energy-dispersive spectrophotometry performed on eight of the positive cases showed the characteristic "flake-pastry" appearance and chemical composition (silicon and magnesium) of talc. For comparison, the authors similarly examined 70 cases of posttransfusion chronic hepatitis, all of which had negative findings for talc, and 70 cases of chronic hepatitis with no documented risk factors for viral hepatitis, of which two had positive findings for talc, even though IV drug abuse was denied by the two patients. The authors conclude that talc is frequently present in the liver of IV drug abusers and whenever encountered it strongly suggests IV drug abuse. Only two patients (1.4%) with a negative history also had talc.
- Subjects :
- Adult
Blood Transfusion
Chronic Disease
Crystallization
Female
Hepatitis etiology
Humans
Kupffer Cells analysis
Macrophages analysis
Male
Microscopy, Electron, Scanning
Microscopy, Polarization
Middle Aged
Spectrophotometry
Hepatitis metabolism
Liver analysis
Substance Abuse, Intravenous complications
Talc analysis
Subjects
Details
- Language :
- English
- ISSN :
- 0002-9173
- Volume :
- 92
- Issue :
- 5
- Database :
- MEDLINE
- Journal :
- American journal of clinical pathology
- Publication Type :
- Academic Journal
- Accession number :
- 2816811
- Full Text :
- https://doi.org/10.1093/ajcp/92.5.583