Abstract

To provide ideas for the recognition of neonatal and infantile liver diseases caused by cytomegalovirus(CMV) infection, histopathological examinations were made on hepatic tissues obtained by biopsy or autopsy from 23 patients. All patients were sero-positive for IgM anti CMV and had no other known or suggested etiologic factors for their liver disease. There were five different types of liver diseases: 8 cases of giant cell hepatitis(34.8%), 4 cases of biliary atresia(17.4%), 5 cases of biliary atresia with changes of neonatal hepatitis(21.7%), 4 cases of diffuse hepatic fibrosis(17.4%) and 2 cases of hepatic necrosis with CMV inclusion(8.7%). The diffuse hepatic fibrosis involved both the hepatic lobules and portal areas without evidences of regeneration. This type of liver disease appeared to be a chronic progressive illness that began during the first week of life, and in 3 of 4 cases, the liver biopsy was dong at 5 to 9 months after birth. The two patients showing CMV inclusion in their liver were premature of debilitated, and died within I month after birth. Diffuse hepatic necrosis as well as the cytomegalic change of bile duct epithelium was characteristic. The findings suggest that the pattern of CMV liver disease depends on the major site of hepatic injury, the status of status of patient's defense mechanism and the chronicity of illness.

• Keywords: Liver;Cytomegalovirus;Neonatal hepatitis;Biliary atresia;Diffuse fibrosis;Giant cell hepatitis