Periportal hepatic necrosis in Reye's syndrome. One case in a review of eight patients.

Hepatic necrosis, usually periportal and mild but occasionally of significant extent, is described in the liver of patients with Reye's syndrome, in addition to diffuse microvesicular fatty change. Review of clinical and pathologic findings of eight cases of Reye's syndrome diagnosed between 1970-1978 showed extensive peripheral lobular necrosis of hepatocytes in one case. Other than biochemical evidence of greater liver damage, the latter case showed no significant differences in clinical and laboratory findings from the seven cases with diffuse fatty change of hepatocytes but no liver cell necrosis. The significance of this periportal hepatic necrosis is discussed in the light of current theories concerning the etiology and pathogenesis of Reye's syndrome.