PERITONEOSCOPIC FINDINGS OF TYPE C CHRONIC HEPATITIS

-WITH SPECIAL REFERENCE TO "GUTTER-OR-TRENCH SHAPED DEPRESSION"-

Abstract

One of the marked important peritoneoscopic findings in the developing process from viral hepatitis to liver cirrhosis is the "depression" observed on the liver surface. The type of this depression is classified into 4 groups ; (1) broad depression, (2) gutter-or-trench shaped depression, (3) small depression, and (4) pen-portal reddish markings (RM). Upon the reddish markings seen in type C chronic hepatitis we have already reported as being more sparse and irregularly localized (irregular RM) than those seen in type B chronic hepatitis. This time we made a study on the other 3 groups of the depression through peritoneo-scopy on 249 cases of chronic viral hepatitis and 162 cases of acute viral hepatitis, and we have obtained the findings that broad depressions were seen only in the cases of acute hepatitis, showing its seriousness, and small depressions in most of acute hepatitis, whereas, gutter-or-trench shaped depressions were observed only in the cases of type C and B + C chronic hepatitis, which was thought to be one of characteristic findings for type C chronic hepatitis. As for the occurrence of gutter-or-trench shaped depression, investigating the relation between the localization of irregular RM and the mean age of the patients showing them, we came to a conclusion that most of irregular RM are considered to progress from irregular 1RM to irregular 2RM, and then develop to gutter-or-trench shaped depressions in the area of lobular boundary such as Cantlie line.