A clinico-pathological study of 163 untreated cases of chronic hepatitis C

ARTIGO

A clinico-pathological study of 163 untreated cases of chronic hepatitis C

Joachim Graf; Kan Toriyama; Hideyo Itakura

Department of Pathology, Institute of Tropical Medicine, Nagasaki University, Sakamoto 1-12-4, Nagasaki, Japan. Supported by JICA (Japan International Cooperation Agency)

^{Address for correspondeuce}

SUMMARY

We performed a clinico-pathological study of 163 untreated cases of chronic hepatitis C. Eighty five percent of the patients were clinically asymptomatic and their physical examinations sbowed unremarkable or minimal changes at the time of the liver biopsy Liver function tests tended to present slight abnormalities, involving mild elevations of the activity of the aminotransferases and gamma-glutamil transferase levels. In spite of these mild abnormalities advanced chronic liver disease ivas histologically detected in eighty nine percent of the patients, mainly showing chronic active hepatitis. The most characteristic histological finding ivas an interlobular bile duct damage which correlated with the presence of tymphoid aggregates in the portal tracts and with the development of fibrosis.

Key-words: Chronic hepatitis C. Bile duct damage Lymphoid aggregate. Histopathology.

RESUMO

Realizou-se estudo clinico-patológico de 163 casos não tratados de hepatite crônica C. A maioria dos pacientes era clinicamente assintomática e seus exames físicos demonstravam alterações inespecíficas ou mínimas por ocasião da biópsia hepática. As provas de função hepática tendiam a apresentar alterações discretas, envolvendo especialmente os níveis séricos das aminotransferases e gama-glutamil transpeptidase. Apesar destas alterações discretas, detectou-se doença hepática crônica histologicamente avançada, consistindo principalmente de hepatite crônica ativa. O achado histológico mais característico foi lesão de dueto biliar interlobular, que se correlacionou com a presença de agregados linfóides nos tratos portais e com o desenvolvimento de fibrose.

Palavras-chaves: Hepatite crônica C. Lesão de dueto biliar. Agregado linfóide. Histopatologia.

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Recebido para publicação em 10/02/95.

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Address for correspondeuce

Dr. Joachim Graf. Al Julia da Costa, 1945/102

Bigorrilho, 80730-070, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil.

Fax [phone]

Publication Dates

• Publication in this collection
  09 Apr 2013
• Date of issue
  Feb 1996

History

• Received
  10 Feb 1995
• Accepted
  10 Feb 1995