Alcoholic Hepatitis

Abstract

Christoffersen, P., Iversen, K., Nielsen, K. & Poulsen, H. 1970. Alcoholic Hepatitis. A Comparative Study of Two Groups of Patients with Mallory Bodies with and without Liver Cell Necrosis and Neutrophilic Infiltration in Liver Biopsies. Scand. J. Gastroent, 5, 633-638. Alcoholic hepatitis is here defined morphologically as parenchymal liver changes with liver cell necroses, Mallory bodies, and neutrophil granulocytes. Two groups of liver biopsies with Mallory bodies, one with (group 1) and one without alcoholic hepatitis (group 2) are compared morphologically, and the corresponding groups of patients are compared biochemically, clinically, and with regard to prognosis. More Mallory bodies (and more neutrophil granulocytes), a greater elevation of serum asparate-transaminase, and a greater incidence of hepatomegaly were demonstrated in group 1 than in group 2. The death rate is identical in the two groups and identical with the death rate in a large mixed cirrhosis material (Copenhagen Study Group for Liver Diseases).