In order to determine the extent of liver abnormalities occurring during acquired immunodeficiency syndrome, the available histological analyses of liver samples (32 biopsies, 52 autopsies) from 71 AIDS patients, for the period 1982-1986, were studied retrospectively. Hepatomegaly was the most common clinical symptom (23 patients, 32.4%), while jaundice was rare, being seen in only 5 cases (7%). Progressive anicteric cholestasis was the most frequently observed biological anomaly (29/52, 55.7%). Ten patients had liver infections: 2 Mycobacterium tuberculosis, 8 Mycobacterium avium intracellulare. Cytomegalovirus was present in 3 patients and 1 individual was infected with Cryptococcus neoformans. Granulomatous hepatitis was associated with these infectious agents in 11 patients, but remained unexplained in 11 others. Three patients had cholangitis (2 with CMV inclusions, 1 unexplained). Among the 32 biopsies, 5 elucidated the origin of unexplained fever. Kaposi's sarcoma of the liver was found in 10/52 autopsy samples (19%) and hepatic lymphoma in 2 cases. Non-specific histological lesions were common: inflammation of the portal spaces (48 cases, 67.6%), steatosis (32 patients, 45%), peliosis hepatis (9 cases, 12.6%) and sinusoidal dilations (39 cases, 54.9%).