Studies of the liver function test in various diseases of the thyroid gland.

Structural and functional derangement of the liver has been noted in patients with hyperthyroidism(Cameron and Kurunaratne, 1935;Lichtman, 1953;Werner, 1955). Paul, in 1865, was the first to mention the association of hepatic cirrhosis and toxic thyroid disease. Jaundice was first mentioned by Haberson(1874). Kerr and Rusk, in 1922, reported acute yellow atrophy of the liver associated with hyperthyroidism. Anatomical changes in the liver in hyperthyroidism have been reviewed by many authors(Hashimoto, 1921;Haban, 1933;Rossle, 1933; Shaffer, 1940). Liver damage in experimental hyperthyroidism after feeding small or toxic doses of thyroid have been studied(Farrant, 1913;Althausen, 1932; Coggeshal and Green, 1933;Drill and Gun, 1944). Thyroid crisis have been attributed to hepatic insufficiencies by a number of observers(Dinsmore, 1937; Frazier and Frieman, 1935;Shaffer, 1940). Many investigators have reported that there is a clinical evidence of hepatic dysfunction obtained by utilization of liver function tests(Kugelmann, 1930;Hurxthal, 1933;Lichtman, 1941;Lord, 1941)in various grades of hyperthyroidism. At present hepatic damage in hyperthyroidism may be attributed to four factors;the cytotoxic action of thyroid hormone(Farrant, 1913;Laurence and McCane, 1931;Coggeshall and Greene, 1933), unfavorable reaction to viral and bacterial infections(Haban, 1933;Lichtman, 1941;Sealy, 1941), the disturbance in circulation(Moschowitz, 1946;McArthur, 1947;Myer, Brannan and Holland, 1950)and in nutrition(Drill, 1937, 1940, 1944;Haines, 1941)which tend to com-