Hepatic veno-occlusive disease Hepatic veno-occlusive disease Hepatic veno-occlusive disease or veno-occlusive disease with immunodeficiency (VODI) is a condition in which some of the small veins in the liver are obstructed. It is a complication of high-dose chemotherapy given before a bone marrow transplant (BMT) and is marked by weight gain due to fluid retention, increased liver size, and raised levels of bilirubin in the blood. The name sinusoidal obstruction syndrome is now preferred if VODI happens as a result of chemotherapy or bone marrow transplantation. Apart from chemotherapy, VODI may also occur after ingestion of certain plant alkaloids such as pyrrolizidine alkaloids (in
Spermaceti organ Spermaceti organ The spermaceti organ is an organ that commonly appears in the heads of toothed whales of the family Physeteroidea, in particular the sperm whale. This organ contains a waxy liquid called spermaceti and is involved in the generation of sound. In the modern day Great Sperm Whale ("Physeter macrocephalus"), the spermaceti organ is far larger in proportion to the animal’s body than what would be explained by simple allometry, and the evolution of the organ has caused changes in basal skull morphology, which may implicate tradeoffs were made that compromised the functionality of other nearby features. The high