Table 1 Histopathology of liver involvement in systemic rheumatic diseases
Histological definition | Features |
|---|---|
Chronic active hepatitis | Piecemeal necrosis with mononuclear cell infiltrate |
Chronic persistent hepatitis | Chronic inflammatory infiltration of the portal tract with preserved lobular architecture and without portal fibrosis |
Cirrhosis | Diffuse liver degeneration characterized by fibrous tissue and regenerative nodules |
Fibrosis | Abnormal production of fibrous tissue in response to liver injury |
Steatosis | Abnormal retention of lipids within hepatocytes |
Cholangitis | Inflammation of bile ducts |
Reactive hepatitis | Aspecific and mild inflammatory cell infiltrate of portal spaces |
Nodular regenerative hyperplasia | Diffuse nodularity of the liver without fibrosis |
Granulomas | Aggregate of epithelioid cells surrounded by lymphocytes |
Idiopathic portal hypertension | Increased blood pressure in the veins of the portal system not due to liver diseases |
Arteritis | Vessel wall inflammation |
Giant cell hepatitis | Presence throughout the liver of enlarged multinucleated hepatocytes with abundant cytoplasm |
Massive hepatic necrosis | Diffuse hepatocyte necrosis |