ELECTRON MICROSCOPIC OBSERVATION OF THE LIVER IN KALA AZAR

Abstract

Kala azar or Leishmaniasis is one of the most common protozoan disease involving the liver, frequently occuring in China and South Asian countries. Relatively limited information was available on the fine structural detail of Leishmania donovani because of limitation of magnification by the light microscpe, until the recent electron microscopic studies of this protozoon. Nevertheless electron microscopic observations of the liver of this disease have not been undertaken probably because of the difficulty in cbtaining liver biopsy material. This paper describes the fine structural changes of the liver in this disease with special attention directed toward the ultrastructure of Leishmania donovani contained in the liver.