Chronic hepatitis C infection
This liver biopsy is from a patient with chronic hepatitis, viral type C (HCV). On low power we see a cord of liver parenchyma with a patchy distribution of chronic inflammation (characteristically in the form of lymphoid aggregates). Higher power reveals a prominent chronic inflammatory infiltrate of the portal tracts and the periportal region. The infiltrate is predominantly comprised of lymphocytes with occasional plasma cells. The extension of this infiltrate beyond the boundaries of the portal tract (into the lobule) is referred to as interface hepatitis. Scattered acidophil bodies, aka Councilman bodies (arrow), were also noted. Although not illustrated in these images, a sinusoidal pattern of lymphocytic infiltrate and a mild degree of steatosis are also characteristic of hepatitis C infections.
Contributed by Drs. James Carlsten and Murray Resnick