A comparative study on pathologic features of chronic hepatitis C and B in pediatric patients

The aim of our study was to identify the histologic features in children with chronic hepatitis C including bile duct damage, lymphoid follicles and/or aggregates in portal tracts, fat droplets, and Mallory body-like material in hepatocytes. We examined 54 liver biopsies from 49 children with chronic hepatitis C and 25 specimens from children with chronic hepatitis B. Histologic diagnoses were based on the new classification of chronic hepatitis. Necroinflammation, fibrosis, lymphoid follicles and/or aggregates, bile duct damage, fat droplets, Mallory body-like material, and iron deposit were scored. The necroinflammation and fibrosis scores were higher in chronic hepatitis B than in chronic hepatitis C (p < .05). In chronic hepatitis C, lymphoid follicles and/or aggregates, fatty droplets, and iron deposition were more commonly observed in children with histories of hematologic disorders who received massive doses of cytotoxic and immunosuppressive agents than in those with good prognosis. The liver histology of children with chronic hepatitis C does not have specific features that allow differentiation of chronic hepatitis C from chronic hepatitis B, which is a more aggressive disease.