Open AccessPathology of hepatitis C
Author(s) -
Gerber Michael A.
Publication year - 1994
Publication title -
fems microbiology reviews
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 5.91
H-Index - 212
eISSN - 1574-6976
pISSN - 0168-6445
DOI - 10.1111/j.1574-6976.1994.tb00090.x
Subject(s) - pathognomonic , pathology , biology , viral hepatitis , hepatitis , germinal center , steatosis , disease , virology , medicine , immunology , b cell , antibody , endocrinology
The basic morphological patterns of acute or chronic viral hepatitides are very similar, irrespective of the causative hepatitis viruses A, B, C, D or E. In addition, however, acute and chronic hepatitis C shows characteristic, although not pathognomonic histological changes. These consist of lymphoid aggregates in portal tracts, sometimes with germinal centers, damage of bile duct epithelium, and micro‐ or macrovesicular steatosis of hepatocytes. A combination of two of these three characteristic alterations is seen in over half of the patients with chronic hepatitis C and is helpful in the histological diagnosis of the disease.