Alcoholic hyalins (Mallory bodies) in a case of Weber-Christian disease: electron microscopic observations of liver involvement.

A 32-yr-old female who suffered from typical Weber-Christian disease developed hepatosplenomegaly and hepatic dysfunction. A liver biopsy specimen displayed many fat droplets and alcoholic hyalins (Mallory bodies). Electron microscopic hepatic injury was indicated by many fat droplets, alcoholic hyalins, marked deformities of the rough endoplasmic reticulum, and by some deformed nuclei and nuclear bodies. There has been no other report describing alcoholic hyalins in the hepatic changes of Weber-Christian disease. Additionally, based on electron microscopic observation, we assume that fatty changes were due to a relative reduction in lipoprotein synthesis in the deformed rough endoplasmic reticulum.