Medical liver disease
This article deals with medical liver disease. An introduction to the liver and approach is found in the liver article.
Every differential in liver pathology has "drugs" -- if it isn't clearly malignancy.
Liver neoplasms are dealt with in the liver neoplasms article.
Hepatitis A
- Infection is self-limited, i.e. not persistent.
- Usually asymptomatic in children.[1]
- Serology is diagnostic.
Hepatitis B
General
- May lead to hepatocellular carcinoma without cirrhosis.
- High prevalence.
- Diagnosis is by serology.
Microscopic
Features:
- Lobular inflammation - this is non-specific finding.
- Ground glass hepatocytes - see liver pathology article.
Image: GGH - high mag. (WC).
DDx:
- Hepatitis C.
- Autoimmune hepatitis.
- Primary biliary cirrhosis without granulomas.
- Drug reaction.
Notes:
- IHC for hepatitis B is available.
Hepatitis C
General
- Leads to hepatocellular carcinoma in the setting of cirrhosis.
- Tends to be chronic; the "C" in "hepatitis C" stands for chronic.
- Diagnosis is by serology.
Microscopic
Features:
- Lobular inflammation - this is non-specific finding.
- Usually Grade 1, rarely Grade 2 and almost never Grade 3 or Grade 4.[2]
- Periportal steatosis in genotype 3.[3]
- Steatosis in hepatitis C is usually a secondary pathology, i.e. a separate pathologic process.[4]
DDx:
- Hepatitis B (without ground glass hepatocytes).
- Autoimmune hepatitis.
- Primary biliary cirrhosis without granulomas.
- Drug reaction.
Congestive hepatopathy
General
- Liver failure due to (right) heart failure.
- AKA cardiac cirrhosis - a term used by clinicians.
- Generally, it does not satisfy pathologic criteria for cirrhosis.[5]
Gross
- "Nutmeg" liver - yellow spotted appearance.
Histologic
Features:[6]
- Zone III atrophy.
- Portal venule (central vein) distension.
- Perisinusoidal fibrosis - progresses to centrilobular fibrosis and then diffuse fibrosis.
- Dilation of sinusoids in all zone III areas - key feature.[7]
Image: Congestive hepatopathy (WC).
Alcoholic liver disease
- Acute and/or chronic liver changes due to alcohol use.
- Includes ASH (alcoholic steatohepatitis).
- Alcoholic hepatitis can be with minimal steatosis.[8]
Classic lab findings in EtOH abusers
- AST & ALT elevated with AST:ALT=2:1.
- GGT elevated.
- MCV increased.
Gross pathology/radiologic findings
- Classically micronodular pattern.
- May be macronodular.
Microscopic
See:
- Steatohepatitis section and ballooning degeneration section.
Features:
- Often zone III damage.
- Neutrophils (often helpful to differentiate) -- few other things have PMNs.
- Cholestatsis common, i.e. yellow staining.
- NASH (non-alcoholic steatohepatitis) usu. does not have cholestasis.[9]
- Fibrosis starts at central veins.
Notes:
- If portal inflammatory infiltrates more than mild, r/o other causes i.e. viral hepatitis.
- Mallory bodies once thought to be characteristic; now considered non-specific and generally poorly understood.[10]
- Some consider alcoholic liver disease a clinical diagnosis, i.e. as a pathologist one does not diagnose it.[11]
Non-alcoholic fatty liver disease
- Abbreviated NAFLD.
- Fatty liver that is not due to alcohol; includes obesity-related fatty liver, metabolic disease/diabetes-related fatty liver.
NASH
- Non-alcoholic steatohepatitis - see steatohepatitis section.
- Histologically indistinguishable from ASH.
- NASH is a clinical diagnosis based on exclusion of alcohol.
Steatohepatitis
General
- Steatohepatitis is a label for a set of histopathologic findings.
- May arise due to numerous etiologies, e.g. alcoholic steatohepatitis (ASH), non-alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH).
- Fat accumulation in hepatocytes.
- It may be a pattern seen in drug toxicity, e.g. methotrexate toxicity.[12]
Microscopic
Features:
- Steatosis (usually macrovesicular) - key feature.
- If less than 10% ... consider alt. diagnosis/disease process.
- Hepatocyte injury:
- Ballooning degeneration - key feature (see introduction to liver).
- Mallory bodies.
- Mallory body wannabes: "occasional cytoplasmic clumping".
- +/-Chicken-wire perisinusoidal fibrosis +/- zone III (centrilobular) fibrosis (early).
- Late-stage disease - portal bridging.[13]
Image: Steatohepatitis (WC).
Grading steatohepatitis
Grading inflammation:[14]
- Grade 1 - steatosis, occasional ballooning degeneration, PMNs.
- Grade 2 - obvious ballooning, obvious PMNs, chronic inflammation.
- Grade 3 - panacinar steatosis.
Autoimmune hepatitis
General
- Abbreviated AIH.
- Several criteria exist to diagnose.
Diagnosis
Simplifed diagnostic criteria (2008):[15]
- Antibody titer.
- Elevated IgG.
- Liver pathology.
- Exclusion of viral hepatitis.
Details (scoring):[15]
- ANA or SMA 1:40 1 point.
- ANA or SMA 1:80 2 points.
- LKM 1:40 2 points.
- IgG upper normal 1 point.
- IgG 1.1x upper limit 2 points.
- Histology compatible 1 point.
- Typical AIH histo. 2 points.
- No viral hepatsis 2 points.
Interpretation: Definite >= 7. Probable = 6.
Notes:
- Autoantibodies may be seen in HCV.[15]
- A normal IgG is very unusual in AIH - but may be seen in atypical variants with zone III involvment.
Abbreviations:
- ANA = anti-nuclear antibody.
- SMA = smooth muscle antibody.
- LKM-1 = liver kidney microsomal type 1 antibody.
Microscopic
Classification:[15]
- Typical:
- Interface hepatitis (zone 1).
- Lymphocytic/lymphoplasmacytic infiltration of portal tracts + lobule.
- Emperipolesis - one cell penetrates into another one.
- Hepatic rosette.
- Interface hepatitis (zone 1).
- Compatible
- Chronic hepatitis - with lymphocytic dominant.
- Atypical:
- Signs of other disease.
Notes:
- PAS stain may be useful - find plasma cells.[16]
- Lots of plasma cells should prompt consideration of AIH.
- Atypical Autoimmune hepatitis may have zone III involvment (lymphoplasmacytic infiltrate)[17] and a normal IgG.[18]
Micrographs:
Treatment
- Immunosuppresants (prednisone, azathioprine).[17]
Primary biliary cirrhosis
- Abbreviated PBC.
General
Epidemiology
- Female>male (~9:1).[19]
- Usually middle age.
- Associated with other autoimmune conditions (Sjogren's syndrome, progressive systemic sclerosis, celiac).
Etiology
- Autoimmune.
Serology
- AMA+.
Classic presentation
- Pruritis.
Pathophysiology
- Septal bile duct attacked.
Treatment
- Ursodeoxycholic acid.
- May be indication for transplant.
Microscopic
Features:
- Intraepithelial lymphocytes - in bile duct key feature.
- Bile duct epithelial cells with eosinophilic cytoplasm.[20]
- Plasma cells.
- Granulomas - close to bile duct.
- Seen in classic presentation -- often not present or poorly formed.
- Focal damage (may be missed on biopsy -- due to sampling).
- "Garland" cirrhosis -- has irregular border (unlike in EtOH).
- Garland originally "wreath of flowers" (in French).[21]
Images:
- PBC - low magnification (WC).
- PBC - intermediate magnification (WC).
- Garland - wreath of flowers (gidesigns.net).
DDx:[22]
- Sarcoidosis (if granulomas present).
- PSC, viral hepatitis, AIH, drugs, Hodgkin's lymphoma.[23]
Notes:
- PAS stain useful for examining basement membrane... which is lost in PBC.
- Lobular inflammation should be minimal.
Staging PBC
PBC is staged according to Ludwig:[24]
- Stage 1: Portal - inflammation or bile duct abnormalities.
- Stage 2: Periportal - periportal fibrosis (enlargement of portal tracts) +/- inflammation.
- Stage 3: Septal - septal fibrosis +/-inflammation in septa.
- Stage 4: Cirrhosis - nodules of hepatocytes +/- inflammation.
Notes:
- There can be significant variation in staging on biopsy - due to variability of fibrosis in a PBC liver.[25]
- "Worst area" in biopsy specimen is used to determine stage.
Autoimmune hepatitis-primary biliary cirrhosis overlap syndrome (AIH-PBC OS)
Epidemiology
- Rare.
Serology
- AMA+, anti-dsDNA+.[26]
Primary sclerosing cholangitis
- Abbreviated PSC.
General
- Strongly associated with ulcerative colitis; 75-90% of PSC patients have inflammatory bowel disease (IBD).[27]
- Risk for cholangiocarcinoma.[28]
Diagnosis
- Diagnosed radiologically.
- Liver biopsy is rarely useful diagnostically[29] - as the disease may be patchy.
- The utility of the biopsy is staging.
Treatment
- None very good.
- May be indication for transplant.
Microscopic
Features:
- Classic: "onion-skinning" - cells layer around the bile ducts; "onion skin" present in approx. 40% of cases.[30]
- Not pathognomonic for PSC[30] - but not too much else looks like this on microscopy (ergo good fellowship exam question).
- +/-Ductopenia.
- +/-Ductal proliferation.
DDx:
- Big.
Micrographs:
Notes:
- PSC often has minimal inflammation.[31]
Staging
Features:[32]
- Stage I - focal portal inflammation, +/- duct abnormalities, no fibrosis.
- Stage II - portal enlargement (fibrosis), +/- inflammation.
- Stage III - bridging fibrosis + necrosis.
- Stage IV - cirrhosis.
Notes:
- Similar to PBC staging.
Hereditary hemochromatosis
Epidemiology/General
- Genetic defect.
- One mutation (C282Y mutation) in up to 12.5% of people in populations of northern and central European origin.[33]
- Onset in males earlier than females (due to menses).
- Mutation thought to confer survival advantage - several theories (increased resistance to TB, S. typhi vs. decr. iron def./incr. iron absorption)[33]
- May lead to restrictive cardiomyopathy.
Pathophysiology
- Iron overload --> cirrhosis.
Microscopic
- Periportal changes (early), i.e. no iron centrilobular.
- Late stage disease has diffuse iron deposition.
- Brown granular -- may vaguely look like lipofuscin on H&E.
Diagnosis suggested by positive iron stain.
- Light blue haze is not enough.
- NOT siderosis -- in Kupffer cells.
Image: Hemosiderosis - iron stain (WC).
Notes:
- Iron in the bile ducts and endothelium used to be though specific of hereditary hemochromatosis.[34]
- It is now thought to just reflect the severity of iron deposition, i.e. if the bile ducts and endothelium have iron - it is severe.
DDx
- Myelodysplastic syndrome.
- Chronic hemolysis.
- Alcohol.
Wilson's disease
Epidemiology
- Rare autosomal recessive - mutation in copper-transporting adenosine triphosphatase (ATPase) gene (ATP7B).[35]
- Heterozygote carrier rate approximately 1/100 persons.[35]
- Young individuals - usually 12-23 years old.
Clinical
- Kayser-Fleischer rings --> on slit-lamp examination (green eyes).
- May present to psychiatry or appear to be abusing EtOH.
- Serum ceruloplasmin - lower than normal.
Etiology
- Excess copper -- due to genetic defect.
Histopathology
- Nothing specific.
- Steatosis.
- Portal fibrosis.
Staining:
- Copper staining positive in ONLY 15%.
- Other stains: rhodinine, orecin.
Alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency
General
- AKA 'alpha1-antiprotease inhibitor deficiency'.
Etiology
- Genetic defect.
Causes
- Lung and liver injury.
- Lung -> emphysema.
Histopathology
- Pink globules in zone 1.
- Globules not seen in children.
- May not be present in late stage (cirrhotic).
- Best seen on PAS-diastase.
- Can be seen on H&E -- if one looks carefully.
Images:
Drug toxicity
- Can do almost anything; may include: granulomata, bile duct injury, cholestasis, ischemic type injury.
- Effects can be delayed -- temporal relationship not always obvious.
Microscopic:
- Non-specific findings.
- +/-Eosinophils.[36]
- +/-Steatosis - periportal macrovesicular, microvesicular.
Common
Acute hepatits:
- Related to Rx - most often antibiotics.
Acetaminophen:
- Zone 3 necrosis.
Methotrexate - chronic use:
Focal nodular hyperplasia
- Abbreviated FNH.
- Not commonly seen by pathologists.
- Benign lesions.
- Associated with oral contraceptive pill (OCP) use.
Imaging
- FNH enhances on the arterial phase in triphasic imaging, i.e. triphasic CT or MRI.[41]
Gross
Features:[42]
- Well circumscribed, but no capsule.
- Lighter than surrounding parenchyma, may be yellow.
- +/-Stellate central scar with thick vessels.
Note: Usually a solitary lesion.[41]
Histopathology
Features:[43]
- Stellate scar has large arteries with fibromuscular hyperplasia.
- Thin fibrous septa radiate from the central scar - surrounded by lymphocytes & bile ductules.
- Normal hepatocytes between fibrous septae.
- Thin fibrous septa radiate from the central scar - surrounded by lymphocytes & bile ductules.
DDx
- May be difficult to distinguish from hepatic adenoma if no scar and no ductal proliferation.[44]
Nodular regenerative hyperplasia
- Associated with renal transplants, bone marrow transplants and vasculitities.[45]
- Can lead to portal hypertension and many of the associated complications.
Etiology
- Arterial hypervascularity secondary to loss of hepatic vein radicles (loss of central venule in hepatic lobule).[46]
ASIDE: radicle = ramulus - smallest branch or vessel or nerve.[47]
Gross
- Diffuse nodularity - whole liver.
Histopathology
Features:[48]
- "Plump" hepatocytes surrounded by atrophic ones.
- No fibrosis.
Sinuosoidal obstruction syndrome
Polycystic kidney disease and the liver
Complications of PKD in the liver:[51]
- Infected cyst.
- Cholangiocarcinoma.
- Cholestasis/obstruction due to duct compression.[52]
Cysts:
- Cysts in the liver, like the kidney, are thought to enlarge with age.
Microscopic
Features:[53]
- Von Meyenburg complexes (bile duct hamartoma):
- Cluster of dilated ducts with "altered" bile.
- Surrounded by collagenous stroma.
- Separate from the portal areas.[54]
Images:
Notes:
See also
References
- ↑ Jeong SH, Lee HS (2010). "Hepatitis A: clinical manifestations and management". Intervirology 53 (1): 15–9. doi:10.1159/000252779. PMID 20068336.
- ↑ STC. 6 December 2010.
- ↑ Yoon EJ, Hu KQ. Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection and hepatic steatosis. Int J Med Sci. 2006;3(2):53-6. Epub 2006 Apr 1. PMID 16614743. Avialable at: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=1415843. Accessed on: September 9, 2009.
- ↑ OA. September 2009.
- ↑ URL: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/151792-overview. Accessed on: 17 June 2010.
- ↑ URL: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/151792-diagnosis. Accessed on: 17 June 2010.
- ↑ Suggested by OA. September 2009.
- ↑ STC. 6 December 2010.
- ↑ STC. 6 December 2010.
- ↑ Jensen K, Gluud C (November 1994). "The Mallory body: theories on development and pathological significance (Part 2 of a literature survey)". Hepatology 20 (5): 1330-42. PMID 7927269.
- ↑ MG. September 2009.
- ↑ MG. 22 September 2009.
- ↑ Gramlich, T.; Kleiner, DE.; McCullough, AJ.; Matteoni, CA.; Boparai, N.; Younossi, ZM. (Feb 2004). "Pathologic features associated with fibrosis in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease.". Hum Pathol 35 (2): 196-9. PMID 14991537.
- ↑ Nonalcoholic steatohepatitis: a proposal for grading and staging the histological lesions. Brunt EM, Janney CG, Di Bisceglie AM, Neuschwander-Tetri BA, Bacon BR. Am J Gastroenterol. 1999 Sep;94(9):2467-74. PMID 10484010.
- ↑ 15.0 15.1 15.2 15.3 Scoring systems for the diagnosis of autoimmune hepatitis: past, present, and future. Wiegard C, Schramm C, Lohse AW. Semin Liver Dis. 2009 Aug;29(3):254-61. Epub 2009 Aug 12. PMID 19675998
- ↑ URL: http://iv.iiarjournals.org/content/19/6/1097.abstract. Accessed on: 9 December 2010.
- ↑ 17.0 17.1 Non-classical phenotypes of autoimmune hepatitis and advances in diagnosis and treatment. Czaja AJ, Bayraktar Y. World J Gastroenterol. 2009 May 21;15(19):2314-28. Review. PMID 19452572.
- ↑ FW. 21 September 2009.
- ↑ Tadrous, Paul.J. Diagnostic Criteria Handbook in Histopathology: A Surgical Pathology Vade Mecum (1st ed.). Wiley. pp. 162. ISBN 978-0470519035.
- ↑ OA. 11 September 2009.
- ↑ http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/garland
- ↑ Tadrous, Paul.J. Diagnostic Criteria Handbook in Histopathology: A Surgical Pathology Vade Mecum (1st ed.). Wiley. pp. 163. ISBN 978-0470519035.
- ↑ Vanishing bile duct syndrome and Hodgkin disease: a case series and review of the literature. Pass AK, McLin VA, Rushton JR, Kearney DL, Hastings CA, Margolin JF. J Pediatr Hematol Oncol. 2008 Dec;30(12):976-80. PMID 19131796.
- ↑ PBC. eMedicine.com. URL: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/171117-diagnosis. Accessed on: 22 September 2009.
- ↑ J Clin Pathol. 1996 July; 49(7): 556-559. Available at: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?artid=500569. Accessed on: September 22, 2009.
- ↑ The serological profile of the autoimmune hepatitis/primary biliary cirrhosis overlap syndrome. Muratori P, Granito A, Pappas G, Pendino GM, Quarneti C, Cicola R, Menichella R, Ferri S, Cassani F, Bianchi FB, Lenzi M, Muratori L. Am J Gastroenterol. 2009 Jun;104(6):1420-5. Epub 2009 Apr 28. PMID 19491855.
- ↑ Khurana V, Singh T. Primary sclerosing cholangitis. eMedicine.com. URL: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/187724-overview. Accessed on: 29 November 2009.
- ↑ Jesudian, AB.; Jacobson, IM. (2009). "Screening and diagnosis of cholangiocarcinoma in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.". Rev Gastroenterol Disord 9 (2): E41-7. PMID 19668124.
- ↑ Khurana V, Singh T. Primary sclerosing cholangitis. eMedicine.com. URL: http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/187724-diagnosis. Accessed on: 29 November 2009.
- ↑ 30.0 30.1 Steele et al. URL: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/552500_6. Accessed on: 29 November 2009.
- ↑ STC. 9 December 2010.
- ↑ Steele et al. URL: http://www.medscape.com/viewarticle/552500_6. Accessed on: 29 November 2009.
- ↑ 33.0 33.1 Weinberg ED (2008). "Survival advantage of the hemochromatosis C282Y mutation". Perspect. Biol. Med. 51 (1): 98-102. doi:10.1353/pbm.2008.0001. PMID 18192769.
- ↑ MG. 17 September 2009.
- ↑ 35.0 35.1 http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/183456-overview
- ↑ Tadrous, Paul.J. Diagnostic Criteria Handbook in Histopathology: A Surgical Pathology Vade Mecum (1st ed.). Wiley. pp. 166. ISBN 978-0470519035.
- ↑ 37.0 37.1 Millea PJ (August 2009). "N-acetylcysteine: multiple clinical applications". Am Fam Physician 80 (3): 265–9. PMID 19621836.
- ↑ URL: http://www.mskcc.org/mskcc/html/69310.cfm. Accessed on: 19 October 2010.
- ↑ Burt, Alastair D.;Portmann, Bernard C.;Ferrell, Linda D. (2006). MacSween's Pathology of the Liver (5th ed.). Churchill Livingstone. pp. 715. ISBN 978-0-443-10012-3.
- ↑ MG. 23 September 2009.
- ↑ 41.0 41.1 http://emedicine.medscape.com/article/368377-overview
- ↑ Cotran, Ramzi S.; Kumar, Vinay; Fausto, Nelson; Nelso Fausto; Robbins, Stanley L.; Abbas, Abul K. (2005). Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease (7th ed.). St. Louis, Mo: Elsevier Saunders. pp. 922. ISBN 0-7216-0187-1.
- ↑ Cotran, Ramzi S.; Kumar, Vinay; Fausto, Nelson; Nelso Fausto; Robbins, Stanley L.; Abbas, Abul K. (2005). Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease (7th ed.). St. Louis, Mo: Elsevier Saunders. pp. 922. ISBN 0-7216-0187-1.
- ↑ STC. 19 Jan 2009.
- ↑ Cotran, Ramzi S.; Kumar, Vinay; Fausto, Nelson; Nelso Fausto; Robbins, Stanley L.; Abbas, Abul K. (2005). Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease (7th ed.). St. Louis, Mo: Elsevier Saunders. pp. 922. ISBN 0-7216-0187-1.
- ↑ Cotran, Ramzi S.; Kumar, Vinay; Fausto, Nelson; Nelso Fausto; Robbins, Stanley L.; Abbas, Abul K. (2005). Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease (7th ed.). St. Louis, Mo: Elsevier Saunders. pp. 922. ISBN 0-7216-0187-1.
- ↑ Dorland's Medical Dictionary. 30th Ed.
- ↑ Cotran, Ramzi S.; Kumar, Vinay; Fausto, Nelson; Nelso Fausto; Robbins, Stanley L.; Abbas, Abul K. (2005). Robbins and Cotran pathologic basis of disease (7th ed.). St. Louis, Mo: Elsevier Saunders. pp. 922. ISBN 0-7216-0187-1.
- ↑ Review article: updates in the pathogenesis and therapy of hepatic sinusoidal obstruction syndrome. Helmy A. Aliment Pharmacol Ther. 2006 Jan 1;23(1):11-25. Review. PMID 16393276.
- ↑ Toxic injury to hepatic sinusoids: sinusoidal obstruction syndrome (veno-occlusive disease). DeLeve LD, Shulman HM, McDonald GB. Semin Liver Dis. 2002 Feb;22(1):27-42. Review. PMID 11928077.
- ↑ Burt, Alastair D.;Portmann, Bernard C.;Ferrell, Linda D. (2006). MacSween's Pathology of the Liver (5th ed.). Churchill Livingstone. pp. 174-5. ISBN 978-0-443-10012-3.
- ↑ URL: http://www.pubmedcentral.nih.gov/articlerender.fcgi?tool=pubmed&pubmedid=9184868. Accessed on: 23 September 2009.
- ↑ Burt, Alastair D.;Portmann, Bernard C.;Ferrell, Linda D. (2006). MacSween's Pathology of the Liver (5th ed.). Churchill Livingstone. pp. 176. ISBN 978-0-443-10012-3.
- ↑ Meyenburg complex. Stedman's Medical Dictionary. 27th Ed.
- ↑ Bile duct hamartomas--the von Meyenburg complex. Salles VJ, Marotta A, Netto JM, Speranzini MB, Martins MR. Hepatobiliary Pancreat Dis Int. 2007 Feb;6(1):108-9. PMID 17287178.
- ↑ [The von Meyenburg complex] Schwab SA, Bautz W, Uder M, Kuefner MA. Rontgenpraxis. 2008;56(6):241-4. German. PMID 19294869.