A Study of the Liver Biopsies in Infancy and Childhood

ABSTRACT

To investigate the liver diseases affecting infancy and Childhood and to make a clinicopathologic correlation, a total of 105 liver biopsies were examined and following results were obtained. 1. Of the 105 liver biopsies, 94 cases were available for the study, and the male to female ratio of liver biopsies in infancy and childhood was 1.8 1. 2. Of the 94 available cases, 36 were of diffuse hepatitis, 15 congenital biliary atresia, 4 liver cirrhosis and 3 were of malignant neoplasm. The liver biopsy showed only fatty metamorphosis in 12 cases(12.8%) and the remainings were of other rare liver diseases(19.1%) or of normal liver tissue(6.4%). 3. Diffuse hepatitis affected male 2.3 times more commonly than female, and comprised of 3 acute viral hepatitis, 3 chronic active hepatitis, 7 chronic persistent hepatitis, 1 cholangitis, 8 neonatal hepatitis and 14 nonspecific reactive hepatitis. 4. Congenital biliary atresia affected male and female in about equal frequency, and 13 of the 15 cases were extrahepatic. 5. Two of the 4 live cirrhosis were macronodular, and primary and 2ndary cirrhosis were encountered one in each. 6. Of the 12 cases of fatty metamorphosis, 8 were regarded clinically as Reye's syndrome. 7. Among 34 cases in which the serum HBsAg was tested, 11 were positive, namely all of 3 acut viral hepatitis, 2 chronic active hepatitis, 4 chronic persistent hepatitis and all of 2 macronodular cirrhosis. In neonatal hepatitis and congenital biliary atresia it was exclusively negative. 8. The clinical diagnosis was compatible with the biopsy diagnosis in 60.6% of 94 cases.