[A patient with hepatoma and hepatic cirrhosis showing abnormally high blood morphine concentration after periodical suppository administration].

Morphine hydrochloride 10 mg suppository was given every 6 hours in a patient with hepatoma and hepatic cirrhosis. The serum morphine concentration increased continuously until 4 hours after the second administration, and peak level showed 17 ng.ml-1. Morphine-6-glucuronide and morphine-3-glucuronide in the serum persisted at low levels of 32.4 ng.ml-1 and 169 ng.ml-1 respectively. Three days after the administration, morphine suppository had to be discontinued because of severe nausea and vomiting. It should be noticed that a remarkable reduction in morphine metabolism may occur and this may lead to unexpected high serum concentration of morphine in a patient with hepatic dysfunction.