Abstract
Of 100 patients with clinical and biochemical characteristics consistent with acute viral hepatitis, all of whom were biopsied, 32 patients (32%) showed the disproportionate enlargement of portal tracts with moderate to severe inflammatory cell infiltration. At the same time, the lobular parenchyma exhibited features of acute hepatitis. These 32 patients were included 5 hepatitis A, 14 hepatitis B and 13 non-A, non-B hepatitis. The mean age of them was 40.7 years.
All patients with acute hepatitis A and B as well as 10 of 13 patients with acute non-A, non-B hepatitis made a full recovery in spite of histological "chronicity".
However, in 3 patients with non-A, non-B hepatitis, serum transaminases remained abnormal for more than 6 months. In 2 patients, follow-up biopsies were carried out and the histological diagnosis of CAH was obtained. The prognosis of acute viral hepatitis appeared to be related to the etiological factors rather than the histological features.
