Hepatic manifestations in chronic arsenic toxicity.
Article
in English
| IMSEAR
| ID: sea-64752
ABSTRACT
OBJECTIVE:
The hepatotoxic action of arsenic, when used as a therapeutic agent, has long been recognized. Data on liver involvement following chronic exposure to arsenic-contaminated water are scanty. We report the nature and degree of liver involvement on the basis of hospital-based and cohort follow-up studies in patients who consumed arsenic-contaminated drinking water for 1 to 15 years.METHODS:
248 patients with evidence of chronic arsenic toxicity underwent clinical and laboratory examinations including liver function tests and HBsAg status. Liver biopsy was done in 69 cases; in 29 patients, liver arsenic content was estimated by neutron activation analysis. A cohort follow up of 23 patients who took arsenic-free water for 2-12 years was also carried out.RESULTS:
Hepatomegaly was present in 190 of 248 patients (76.6%). Noncirrhotic portal fibrosis (91.3%) was the predominant lesion in liver histology. The maximum arsenic content in liver was 6 mg/Kg (mean 1.46 [0.42], control value 0.16 [0.04]; p < 0.001); it was undetected in 6 of 29 samples studied. Cohort follow-up studies showed elevation of globulin in four cases and development of esophageal varices in one case.CONCLUSION:
We report the largest number of patients with liver disease due to chronic arsenicosis from drinking arsenic-contaminated water. Noncirrhotic portal fibrosis is the predominant lesion in this population.
Full text:
Available
Index:
IMSEAR (South-East Asia)
Main subject:
Time Factors
/
Water Pollution, Chemical
/
Biopsy
/
Female
/
Humans
/
Male
/
Cohort Studies
/
Follow-Up Studies
/
Adult
/
Arsenic Poisoning
Type of study:
Etiology study
/
Incidence study
/
Observational study
/
Prognostic study
/
Risk factors
Country/Region as subject:
Asia
Language:
English
Year:
1999
Type:
Article
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