Estimation of hepatic hemosiderin by gross inspection of iron-stained histologic sections.

In the coutrse of a prospective, controlled evaluation of the effect of portacaval anastomosis on hepatic lhemosidlerin deposition(l), a large number of iron-stained slicles were evaltuated blindly, semniquantitatively and serially. Those slides in wlhichi excessive deposition of hemosiderin was present microscopically appeared blue in color to gross inspection while those in whiom little or no iron was present histologically appeared pink grossly. The present study was undertaken to compare the semiquantitative grading of hemosiderin in liver biopsies by microscopic and gross examiniation and to determine wlhether the gross interpretation of iron-stained liver tissue sections is a reliable way of grading hemosiderin deposition.