Ultrastructure of Liver in Lactosyl Ceramidosis
Samples of a surgical liver biopsy from a patient with lactosyl ceramidosis were fixed in paraformaldehyde and postfixed in osmium tetroxide. Hepatocytes (Figs. 1, 2) contained 0.4 to 2.1 μ inclusions (LCI) limited by a single membrane containing lucid matrix and short segments of curved, lamellated and circular membranous material (Fig. 3). Numerous LCI in large connective tissue cells were up to 11 μ in diameter (Fig. 2). Heterogeneous dense bodies (“lysosomes”) were few and irregularly distributed. Rough cisternae were dilated and contained smooth vesicles and surface invaginations. Close contact with mitochondria was rare. Stacks were small and rare. Vesicular rough reticulum and glycogen rosettes were abundant. Smooth vesicular reticulum was moderately abundant. Mitochondria were round with few cristae and rare matrical granules. Golgi complex was seen rarely (Fig. 1). Microbodies with marginal plates were usual. Multivesicular bodies were very rare. Neutral lipid was rare. Nucleoli were small and perichromatin granules were large. Small bile canaliculi had few microvilli (Fig. 1).