Sanhong Yu , Barbara Vidal , Masa Peric , Matthew W. Rosenbaum , Justin M.M. Cates , Raul S. Gonzalez
{"title":"Comparative histologic features among liver biopsies with biliary-pattern injury and confirmed clinical diagnoses","authors":"Sanhong Yu , Barbara Vidal , Masa Peric , Matthew W. Rosenbaum , Justin M.M. Cates , Raul S. Gonzalez","doi":"10.1016/j.humpath.2024.03.003","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"<div><p>Biliary-pattern injury in the liver (eg, duct injury, ductular reaction, cholestasis) can occur in several conditions, including primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), large duct obstruction (LDO), and drug-induced liver injury (DILI). While the histologic changes in these conditions have been individually well described, distinguishing among them remains often challenging, particularly when biopsy samples are limited in size, robust clinical information is unavailable, and/or the pathologist does not feel confident in evaluating liver disease. This study evaluated histologic features that could aid the diagnosis of biliary-pattern injury on biopsy. We reviewed 121 liver biopsies from clinically confirmed cases of PBC, PSC, chronic LDO, or DILI for multiple clinical and histologic parameters. The rates of these histologic findings were then compared among different entities. Onion-skin fibrosis was seen in 14% of PSC in comparison to 0%, 5%, and 0% of PBC, DILI, and chronic LDO (<em>P</em> = 0.031). Florid duct lesions were identified in 21% of PBC compared to 2% of PSC and 0% of DILI and LDO (<em>P</em> = 0.0065). Similarly, 42% of PBC showed lobular granulomas, compared to 7% of PSC, 11% of DILI, and 33% of chronic LDO (<em>P</em> = 0.0001). Cholestasis was more commonly seen in DILI (42%) and chronic LDO (83%) than in PBC (4%) and PSC (16%) (<em>P</em> < 0.0001). Lobular chronic inflammation was found in a significantly higher percentage of PBC and LDO than of PSC and DILI (<em>P</em> = 0.0009). There were significantly fewer cases of PBC showing neutrophils in ductular reaction than PSC, DILI, and LDO (<em>P</em> = 0.0063). Histologic findings that can help suggest a diagnosis in liver biopsies with biliary-pattern injury include florid duct lesions, lobular granulomas, lack of neutrophils in ductular reaction, and lobular chronic inflammation in PBC; onion-skin fibrosis in PSC; cholestasis and feathery degeneration in DILI; and lobular granulomas, lobular chronic inflammation, cholestasis, and feathery degeneration in chronic LDO. These findings are likely most helpful when complicating factors interfere with biopsy interpretation.</p></div>","PeriodicalId":13062,"journal":{"name":"Human pathology","volume":null,"pages":null},"PeriodicalIF":2.7000,"publicationDate":"2024-03-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Human pathology","FirstCategoryId":"3","ListUrlMain":"https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S004681772400039X","RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q2","JCRName":"PATHOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Biliary-pattern injury in the liver (eg, duct injury, ductular reaction, cholestasis) can occur in several conditions, including primary biliary cholangitis (PBC), primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), large duct obstruction (LDO), and drug-induced liver injury (DILI). While the histologic changes in these conditions have been individually well described, distinguishing among them remains often challenging, particularly when biopsy samples are limited in size, robust clinical information is unavailable, and/or the pathologist does not feel confident in evaluating liver disease. This study evaluated histologic features that could aid the diagnosis of biliary-pattern injury on biopsy. We reviewed 121 liver biopsies from clinically confirmed cases of PBC, PSC, chronic LDO, or DILI for multiple clinical and histologic parameters. The rates of these histologic findings were then compared among different entities. Onion-skin fibrosis was seen in 14% of PSC in comparison to 0%, 5%, and 0% of PBC, DILI, and chronic LDO (P = 0.031). Florid duct lesions were identified in 21% of PBC compared to 2% of PSC and 0% of DILI and LDO (P = 0.0065). Similarly, 42% of PBC showed lobular granulomas, compared to 7% of PSC, 11% of DILI, and 33% of chronic LDO (P = 0.0001). Cholestasis was more commonly seen in DILI (42%) and chronic LDO (83%) than in PBC (4%) and PSC (16%) (P < 0.0001). Lobular chronic inflammation was found in a significantly higher percentage of PBC and LDO than of PSC and DILI (P = 0.0009). There were significantly fewer cases of PBC showing neutrophils in ductular reaction than PSC, DILI, and LDO (P = 0.0063). Histologic findings that can help suggest a diagnosis in liver biopsies with biliary-pattern injury include florid duct lesions, lobular granulomas, lack of neutrophils in ductular reaction, and lobular chronic inflammation in PBC; onion-skin fibrosis in PSC; cholestasis and feathery degeneration in DILI; and lobular granulomas, lobular chronic inflammation, cholestasis, and feathery degeneration in chronic LDO. These findings are likely most helpful when complicating factors interfere with biopsy interpretation.
期刊介绍:
Human Pathology is designed to bring information of clinicopathologic significance to human disease to the laboratory and clinical physician. It presents information drawn from morphologic and clinical laboratory studies with direct relevance to the understanding of human diseases. Papers published concern morphologic and clinicopathologic observations, reviews of diseases, analyses of problems in pathology, significant collections of case material and advances in concepts or techniques of value in the analysis and diagnosis of disease. Theoretical and experimental pathology and molecular biology pertinent to human disease are included. This critical journal is well illustrated with exceptional reproductions of photomicrographs and microscopic anatomy.