Background: Chronic hepatitis caused by hepatitis B and hepatitis C virus have characteristic histological features. We aimed to compare these histological features between two groups.
Methods: We worked on two groups each contains 50 patients, that are serologically proven, have hepatitis B and hepatitis C. These patients were analysed according to the histological features which are more often seen in chronic hepatitis C.
Results: We found higher percentage of lymphoid follicles and aggregates in portal tracts, bile duct damage or loss and lymphoreticular reaction in patients with chronic hepatitis C than chronic hepatitis B (44%-12%, 96%-14%, 84%-40%, respectively). We recorded most patients with severe portal tract inflammation were in group of chronic hepatitis C (86%). Bile duct loss wasn't observed in any patients with chronic hepatitis B, while it was present in 44% of chronic hepatitis C group. There was no significant difference between two hepatitis groups with regard to fatty change. 13 out of 14 patients, having all those above mentioned histological findings, diagnosed with chronic hepatitis C whereas only one patient had chronic hepatitis B.
Conclusions: Aggregates and follicles forming portal inflammation, lymphoreticular reaction together with bile duct damage, especially with bile duct loss strongly indicates presence of chronic hepatitis C.