Abstract
Studies were performed in Tomie Town, Nagasaki Prefecture where the mortality rate of liver cirrhosis is 26/100, 000. Thirty two patients with chronic liver diseases diagnosed by liver biopsy were followed for 1 to 10 years and the histological findings of the second biopsy specimens were compared to the initial diagnosis. At their first visits, patients were consisted of 4 cirrhotics, 7 with chronic active hepatitis, 2 with chronic inactive hepatitis, 14 with liver fibrosis, 2 with fatty liver, 2 with intrahepatic cholangitis and 1 with nonspecific reactive hepatitis. The histological diagnosis of the second biopsy specimen was same as the initial diagnosis 32 patients but 10 patients showed different histological findings from those obtained from the first biopsy. Hepatoma was developed in 4 patients; 3 from patients with liver cirrhosis and 1 from chronic active hepatitis. These 3 cirrhotics had HBs antigen and a patient with chronic active hepatitis had HBs antibody. Liver cirrhosis was developed in 2 patients with chronic active hepatitis who were HBs antigen carriers. Chronic inactive hepatitis was newly found in 3 patients, 1 from patients with chronic active hepatitis and 2 from liver fibrosis. A patient with chronic active hepatitis at his first visit showed liver fibrosis at the second biopsy. These results suggest that hepatoma as well as liver cirrhosis develope mainly from chronic hepatitis, type B, at least in Tomie-Town, Nagasaki Prefecture.
