The early sinusoidal lesion in experimental veno-occlusive disease of the liver.

The technique of transillumination has been applied to the study of acute experimental veno-occlusive disease in rats. Photographic evidence is presented for the view that hepatic outflow block in this condition occurs first at the outlet end of the sinusoid. The later appearance of venous occlusions and by-pass channels can be related to the patchy occurrence of the sinusoidal lesion. Problems raised by the technical disadvantages of transillumination are discussed in relation to these results.