Abstract
Operative liver biopsy was performed on 58 consecutive patients coming to radical excisional surgery for ulcerative colitis.
The histological changes seen in the liver were: increased cellularity of the portal tracts (83 per cent); fatty infiltration (83 per cent); areas of focal necrosis (47 per cent); and early cirrhosis (2 per cent).
Severe liver damage was shown to he associated with severe active colitis, and with a poor subsequent post-operative prognosis. The mechanisms responsible for liver damage in patients with colitis are discussed.
Index-words::