Pathologic changes following chronic exposures to halothane: a review.

The toxic effects of halothane on the liver, kidney, and brain are reviewed. Increasing evidence has indicated that hepatic degeneration can be induced in several animal speices after exposure to halothane. Recent electron microscopic investigations have also revealed cytological degeneration of the liver cells after chronic exposure to subclinical levels of halothane. Degeneration of the kidney and the nervous system after halothane exposure have also been reported. The pathological effects of halothane on the neonatal (developing) liver, kidney, and brain are also demonstrated by electron microscopy. Although the full significance of these observations on experimental animals in relationship to human exposure is still not known, the indication of the toxic potential of halothane on the biological system is strong and deserves further investigation.