| [ Summary ] |
The number of diseases and pathological conditions associated with acute liver injury is diverse, as is the pathomorphology. The etiology and severity of liver injury can be evaluated based on the pathomorphology of the liver. The histological features of acute viral hepatitis include those of hepatocellular injury, such as the presence of ballooning hepatocytes and acidophilic bodies, as well as inflammatory cell infiltration of the portal tracts.
Histopathologically, infection with viruses other than the hepatitis virus usually causes mild inflammation, rarely resulting in extensive hepatocyte necrosis. Congestion of the liver is characterized by centrilobular congestion, and, in severe cases, by panlobular hepatocyte necrosis. In disorders such as Reye's syndrome and acute fatty liver of pregnancy, tiny fat droplets accumulate in the hepatocytes. Drug-induced acute liver injury encompasses a wide spectrum of histopathological features, including those associated with viral hepatitis, cholestasis, and fatty liver. |