Light- and electron-microscopical study of a case of gold salt-induced hepatotoxicity.

A 56-yr-old woman with long-standing rheumatoid arthritis exhibited jaundice, pruritus and abdominal discomfort after 8 yr of periodic gold sodium thiomalate injections amounting to a cumulative dose in excess of 2.5 gm. Histopathological examination of the liver biopsy specimen showed submassive loss of parenchyma, collapse of reticulin and mixed cellular inflammatory infiltrates. Macrophages contained dark granules, which displayed the characteristics of aurosomes when examined by transmission electron microscopy and electron microprobe analysis. It is likely that hepatocellular injury occurred when the lysosomal storage capacity for gold was exceeded.