PATHOLOGICAL-CHANGES OF LYMPH-NODES IN THOROTRAST PATIENTS - PATHOANATOMICAL, AUTORADIOGRAPHICAL, AND QUANTITATIVE INVESTIGATIONS

Which concentrations of thorotrast are deposited in the lymph nodes of thorotrast patients? Which late effects do occur in organs with different quantities of thorotrast deposited? Which late effects of thorotrast are detected in lymph nodes compared to those in liver and spleen? We studied 38 postmortem cases and investigated 120 lymph nodes taken from various regions of the body. We also investigated the liver and spleen of all the cases and thorotrastomas of six cases. All 38 patients had suffered from thorotrastosis and died approximately 28 years after the injection. Paraffin sections, autoradiography and neutron activation analysis were used. In lymph nodes, the mean concentration of Th-232 is higher than in the liver; it is, however, a little lower than in the spleen. The highest concentration of Th-232 is measured in the lymph nodes of the liver hilus, those in the area behind the pancreas, and around the hilus of the spleen. Lower concentrations are measured in the lymph nodes around the bifurcatio aortae, around the hilus of the lung, and in the groin. The contrast medium is deposited in small concentrations in the sinuses of the lymph nodes without showing any vital reaction in the surrounding area. Th-232 is stored only in a few reticulum cells. The follicles are free of Th-232. In lymph nodes with a higher concentration of Th-232, a strong fibrosis can be seen, occluding the lymph vessels. Spleen and thorotrastomas show a similar fibrosis to that seen in the lymph nodes. We find a large number of carcinomas and sarcomas of the liver. No malignant growth is seen, on the other hand, in either lymph nodes, spleen, or thorotrastoma. In the final section of the paper the special localization of tumors in human thorotrastosis is considered. © 1979, Academic Press, Inc. All rights reserved. All rights reserved.