1987 Volume 28 Issue 3 Pages 305-309
We investigated eight cases of latent cirrhosis (7 males and 1 female, 47.4±11.3 yo, 1.9% of all cirrhotic patients) which showed normal liver function tests. Most cases were positive for serum HBsAg and anti-HBeAb. All patients showed good hepatic reserve and none of them had esophageal varix, while two cases were associated with hepatocellular carcinoma. Ultrasonography and RI scintigraphy revealed uneven echo level or RI distribution in the liver in most cases, and definite SOL in the liver in both patients with hepatocellular carcinoma. Histopathological study showed inactive cirrhosis or early stage of liver cirrhosis.
From these findings, it is important to perform ultrasonography and RI scintigraphy as screening tests and also peritoneoscopy and liver biopsy, even if their liver function tests were nomal, particularly in the cases of middle and old-aged HBsAg carriers.
