liver Flashcards
Give the numbering system for liver lobes
8 lobes total
1- caudate
2-3-left lobe upper/lower
4-right adjacent to falciform
5,6-right lobe lower
7,8-right lobe upper
Name the finding, condition where it is seen, mutation
- Kayser-Fleisher ring
- Wilson’s disease
- ATP7B- mutation in copper transport protein
What are features to report in hepatocellular carcinoma synoptic report?
- Specimen/procedure
- tumor size
- tumor focality
- histologic type (HCC, fibrolamellar, undifferentiated)
- histologic grade (G1-G4)
- tumor extension (within iver, portal vein, peritoneum, gallbladder)
- margins (parenchymal)
- macroscopic venous extension, microscopic venous extension
- TNM (T1-solitary tumor no vascular invasion, T2-solitary with vascular, or multiple tumors each less than 5cm, T3-multiple tumors more than 5cm, any size with portal vein involvement, T4-direct invasion other organs)
- additional pathologic findings (fibrosis, clinical history)
What virus is most implicated in transfusion-acquired hepatitis?
HCV
Give four clinico-pathologic findings possible in a patient with Wilson’s disease
Low serum copper level
Kayser-Fleisher rings
Increased urine copper
Elevated liver enzymes
What histologic finding is seen in Reye’s syndrome
Microvesicular fatty change with panacinar distribution
List 5 clinicopathologic findings in A-1 antitrypsin disease
- Possible emphysema and pulmonary dysfunction
- Spectrum of liver abnormalities in adults includling chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis, HCC
- Infants/neonates with giant cell hepatitis
- micro featurs including eosinophilic globules in periportal hepatocytes, PASD+
- intracellular inclusions are positive for a-1-antitrypsin antibody on IHC
What histologic feature is needed on bio;sy to establish a diagnosis of extrahepatic biliary atresia in a neonate?
Ductular proliferation
LIver biopsy: what is minimum length?
minimum 1.5cm and 6 portal tracts, doesn’t matter for mass lesion as long as you get it
Needle stick injuries: what is the risk of becoming infected with HBV or HCV?
- 1.8% for both
- HIV is 0.3%
What is the risk of chronic hepatitis from HBV and HCV?
- HBV is 10%
- HCV is 80%
What is a carrier in the setting of viral hepatitis?
Carrrier is an individual who harbours and can transmit an organism, but who has no manifest symptoms
- IN HBV, healthy carrier is positive for HBsAg for >6months, without HBeAg but with anti-Hbe antibody, normal aminotransferases, low or undetectable serum HBV DNA, liver biopsy showing ack of significant inflammation and necrosis
What is chronic hepatitis (viral)?
- Symptomatic, biochemical, serologic evidence of continuing or relapsing hepatic disease for >6months
What is the role of pathologist in the diagnosis of viral hepatitis in liver biopsies
- Confirm diagnosis
- Ascertain etiology
- Grading of activity
- Staging of fibrosis
- Rule out other superimposed disease processes
Describe the positive histology that can aid in the diagnosis of Hep A, Hep B, Hep C
Hep A:
acute: anti-HAV IgM
immunity: anti- HAV IgG
Hep B
acute: HBsAg, anti-HbsAg, anti-HBc IgM, anti-HBc IgG
chronic without replication: HBsAg, anti-HBc IgG
Chronic with replication: HBsAg, anti HBc-IgG, HBV DNA
Reactivation: HBsAg, HBV DNA, anti HBc IgM, anti-HBc IgG
Past exposure immunity: anti HBsAg, anti- HBc IgG
vaccination immunity: anti HBsAg
List the histologic clues in the ddx of viral infections in the liver
In Immunocompetent:
HAV: abundant plasma cells and cholestasis
HBV: prominent central ballooning degeneration
HCV: dense lymphoid aggregates, bile duct damage, sinusoidal lymphocytes
CMV/EBV: portal/sinusoidal lymphocytes, with granulomas and minimal hepatocyte damage
HEV: confluent necrosis and cholangitis
Immunocompromised:
CMV: nuclear/cytoplasmic inclusions and microabcesses
EBV: portal infiltration with alrge lymphocytes
Herpes or adenovirus: randomly distributed coagualitve necrosis and nuclear inclusions
HCV: extensive hepatocyte necrosis, prominent cholestasis and pericellular fibrosis (fibrosing cholestatic hcv)
What is the significance of steatosis/steatohepatitis in a patient with HCV?
- Likely genotype 3
- Steatosis favours viral replication
- may represent superimposed disease process
- usually associated with more inflammation and increased fibrosis
What is the Ddx of lymphoma in the liver
HCV
EBV/CMV
Toxoplasmosis
Hemophagocytic syndrome
Small cell carcinoma
Extramedullary hematopoesis, tropical splenomegally, myeloid metaplasia
Classify viral hepatitis based on mode of transmission
- Fecal oral: Hep A/Hep E
Parenteral/sexual: Hep B, C, D
Parenteral: Hep G
List biochemical tests for the liver and their significance
Liver cell necrosis: AST, ALT
cholestasis: GGT, ALP, bilirubin
Hepatocyte dysfunction: low albumen, high PTT INR and ammonia
autoimmune hepatitis: ANA, ASMA
Primary biliary cirrhosis: IgM, AMA-PBV
HCC: AFP
What is the ddx of ground-glass hepatocytes in the non-neoplastic setting?
- Drug induced hypertrophy of smooth endoplasmic reticulum, centrolobular and PASD neg
- Fibrinogen storage disease, random location, PASD+
- alcohol aversion drug (cyanamide): lysosomal accumulations, periportal, PAS+/PASD-
- Glycogen storage disease (type 4 ) or abnormal glycogen metabolism; periportal, pAS+, PASD-
- Lafora disease (myoclonal epilepsy), periportal, PAS+ colloidal iron+
- HBsAg
Name 3 subtypes of autoimmune hepatitis and their characteristic autoimmune markers
Type 1: antinuclear antibody, anti-smooth muscle antibody (ASMA)
Type 2: anti-liver-kidney-microsomal antibody (anti-LKM)
Type 3: antisoluble liver antigen/antisoluble liver-pancreas antigen anti SLA
Liver: ddx for central zone necrosis with inflammation
- Drug toxicity
- Autoimmune hepatitis
- Ischemia
What is the pathogenesis of autoimmune hepatitis?
- Chronic and progressive hepatitis of presumed autoimmune origin
- hepatocyte injury caused by CD4+ and CD8+ IFN-gamma and CD8+ T-cell mediated cytoxicity
- May be triggered by viral infection, drugs (minocycline, statins, methyldopa, herbal prodcuts)
- Commonly associated with other autoimmune disease
Name some clinicopathologic features of autoimmune hepatitis
- Variable course (indolent–>fulminant)
- female predominance
- White northern europeans
- serum markers include elevated serum IgG and -gamma globulin levels, high autoantibody levels (ANA, Anti-Smooth muscle, anti-actin, SLA-LP
- 3 types; type 1 most common in North America and associted wth HLA-DR3
- prominent lymphocytes and plasma cells at interface of portal tracts/hepatic lobules
- treated with steroids, azathioprine, etc.
- May need liver transplant
What is the definition of liver cirrhosis?
- Criteria needed for diagnosis of cirrhosis include bridging fibrous septa, parenchymal nodules, architectural distortion throughout the liver
What is the role of liver biopsy in a cirrhotic liver?
- Confirm diagnosis
- Possible clue to etiology
- rule out carcinoma
What stains are routinely performed on liver biopsies and what is their utility?
Perl prussian blue: iron
PAS: glycogen
PASD: ceroid macrophages, alpha-1-antitrypsin, basemet membranes, fungi
Orcein: elastic fibers to differentiate old fibrosis from collapse, HBsAg, copper binding protein
rhodanine: copper
trichrome: collagen (fibrosis)
reticulin: liver architecture, liver cell plate thickness
CK7/CK19 ducts, ductules, duct derived tumors, prognosis in HCC
List 4 common causes of liver cirrhosis
- Alcohol abuse
- Viral hepatitis
- NASH
- biliary disease
Describe some histologic characteristics in 3 common causes of liver cirrhosis
- Cirrhosis secondary to viral hepatitis: portal-portal bridging, regerative nodules, ongoing portal-based inflammation
- Cirrhosis due to cardiac failure: central-central bridging, lack of significant inflammation, central venous congestion, sinusoidal dilatation
- CIrrhosis due to biliary disease: cholestasis, cholate stasis with periseptal halo, coarse fibrous septa subdiving liver into jig-saw pattern with no obvious regeration
List 3 non-infectious causes of cirrhosis
- Alcohol
- Hemochromatosis
- Heart failure
- Wilson’s disease
- A-1-antitrypsin
List 4 clinical consequences of liver cirrhosis
- Portal HTN: ascites, formation of portosystemic venous shunts leading to upper GI bleeding, splenomegally
- Hepatic dysfunction: coagulation defects, hepatic encephalopathy, hyperestronism
- Renal dysfunction: hepatorenal syndrome
- Hepatopulmonary syndrome
- Incresed incidence of HCC
How can cirrhosis be differentiated from massive necrosis on biopsy?
- Necrosis shows a collapsed reticulin network with no regenerative nodules
- CIrrhosis shows collagen deposition with regenerative nodule formation
Cirrhosis vs nodular regenerative hyperplasia: what feature can differentiate them?
- NRH should not have fibrous septae
Without well-formed nodules, what are clues to cirrhosis on biopsy?
- Fragmentation of biopsy
- Thin layers of connective tissue adherant to rounded edges of a fragment
- Abnormal orientation of reticulin fibers
- Abnormal spacing of portal tracts & central veins, more veins than portal tracts
- Liver cell regeneration (2-cell thick plates) or dysplasia (small cell change)
Differentiate active cirrhosis from inactive cirrhosis
active: presence of ongoing liver damage or inflammation, such as interface hepatitis/steatohepatitis
inactive: absence of necroinflammatory activity and sharp delineation of paucicellular septa and liver cell nodules
What is the function of alpha-1-antitrypsin?
- inhibition of proteases, esp. neutrophil elastase, cathespin G, proteinase 3 normally released by neutrophils at site of inflammation
What is the mechanism/pathogenesis of alpha-1-antitrypsin?
- Autosomal recessive disorder
- Selective defect of migration of alpha-1-antitrypsin from endoplasmic reticulum to golgi apparatus
- Alpha-1-antitrypsin polyemerizes, leading to RER stress and apoptosis
- Normal genotype is PiMM, abnormal allele is Z
- PiZZ polypeptide is abnormally folded and cannot be secreted into blood, leading to low serum alpha-1-antitrypsin levels
- alpha-1-antitrypsin accumulates in hepatocytes causing liver damage
List 3 clinical consequences of alpha-1-antitrypsin
- Liver damage, neonatal hepatitis, liver cirrhosis and increased risk of HCC
- Pulmonary emphysema
- Cutaneous panniculitis
What are features of alpha-1-antitrypsin globules on histology?
- morphology (size, shape)
- periportal distribution
- PASD+
- IHC for alpha-1-antitrypsin
Define hemochromatosis and differentiate from hemosiderosis
Hemochromatosis: autosomal recessive disorder characterized by excess iron absorption
Hemosiderosis: accumulation of iron in tissues as a consequence of parental iron (usually transfusions)
List 2 genetic abnormalities that can cause primary adult hemochromatosis
- Mutations are always in HFE, chromosome 6
- Most common mutation: C282Y, cystine to tyrosine
- Other common mutation: H63D, histidine to aspartate
Describe the pathogenesis of primary hemochromatosis
- Unrestricted intestinal absorption of iron due to mutations in HFE gene
- Iron stimulates production of hydroxyl free radicals
- Free radicals damage tissue and stimulate hepatic stellate cells, promoting fibrosis
- Free radical interactions with DNA=DNA damage, predisposing to HCC
- iron deposits in multiple organs: pancreas, heart, joints, skin
List 3 secondary causes of hemosiderosis
- blood transfusions
- aplastic anemia
- long-term dialysis
- other mutations in transport proteins
List 5 organs involved in hemochromatosis and resulting complications
- Liver: cirrhosis, HCC
- Pancreas: diabetes mellitus
- skin: pigmentation
- myocardium: dilated myocardium, arrythmias
- joints: synnovitis, arthritis
List 3 causes of death from hemochromatosis
- cirrhosis
- cardiac failure
- HCC
List 3 different types of pigments in liver and stains that can differentiate them
- Iron: perls
- Copper: rhodanine
- Bilirubin hall stain (green)
How should a liver bx in a suspected case of hemochromatosis be handled?
- Usually 2 cores; measure length/diameter, fragmentation
- one core in formalin–routine
- one core wrapped in lens paper for measurement of dry weight iron
How is the hepatic iron index calculated?
- HI=hepatic iron in umoles/g dry weight divided by age
- HI <1=normal
- HI>2: diagnostic of heochromatosis only in non-cirrhotic liver
What are other causes of primary hemosiderosis
Hepatitis C
Fatty liver
HCC
porphyria cutanea tarda
What is the normal iron pool in adults, and how much is seen in hemochromatosis?
- 2-6 g in normal adults, 0.5g in liver
- 50g total in hemochromatosis, >1/3 is in liver
What is a basic classification of iron overload?
- Hereditary hemochromatosis (primary)
- Mutations in HFE, transferrin receptor 2, hepcidin
- Mutations in HJV-juvenile hemochromatosis - Hemosiderosis (secondary)
A. parental iron overload (transfusions, sickle cell)
B. ineffective erythropoesis (b-thalassemia)
C. Increased oral iron intake
D. Congenital atransferrinemia
E. Chronic liver disease
F. Neonatal hemochromatosis
Briefly describe iron absorption/regulation as it relates to iron overload
- Main regulator of iron absorption is hepcidin (HAMP gene), which LOWERS PLASMA IRON LEVELS
- Hepcidin is produced in hepatocytes; transcription increased by inflammation and high iron and decreased with iron deficiency and hypoxia
- Hepcidin binds to ferroportin, preventing release of rion from intestinal cells and macrophages
- Other proteins involved in iron metabolism regulate hepcidin levels:
- hemojuveiln
- transferrin receptor 2
- HFE-hemochromatosis
What is Wilson disease?
- Autosomal recessive disorder
- Mutation in ATP7B gene, chromosome 13, encodes a transmembrane copper-transporting ATPase on hepatocyte canalicular membrane
- Usually compound heterozygote, ie. different mutations on each gene!
- Due to defective hepatocyte transport of copper into bile for excretion
- Leads to failure to incorporate copper into ceruloplasmin and therefore LOW serum ceruloplasmin
- Unbound copper accumulates in blood and deposits in other tissues
List 4 characteristic histologic features of Wilson’s disease?
- Fatty change
- Glycogenated nuclei
- Mallory bodies
- Copper pigment deposition in periportal hepatocytes
- Massive liver necrosis can occur
List 3 organs primarily affected by Wilson’s and consequences
Liver: steatosis, acute/chronic hepatitis, cirrhosis
Eye: Kayser-Fleischer rings, green to brown deposits of copper in Descemet membrane in limbus of cornea
Brain: basal ganglia (putamen) atrophy and cavitatoin, behavioural change, psychosis, tremor
List 4 conditions that can be associated with increased hepatic copper
- Cholestasis
- Alpha-1-antitrypsin
- wilson disease
- Esposure to sprays containing copper sulfate (vineyard workers)
How can Wilson’s disease be diagnosed from a biopsy?
- Exces copper demonstrated by special stains on biopsy
- Demonstrate hepatic content in excess of 250 ug/g dry weight most helpful
What are 2 patterns of amyloid deposition in the liver?
- Amorphous extracellular deposits in sinusoidal spaces, portal tract connective tissue and vessel walls
- Linear or globular
Name the 2 most common types of amyloid in the liver and their associated conditions
- Amyloid light chain–plasma cell dyscrasia
- Amyloid asociated protein-chronic inflammatory disorders
List 5 histologic features of alcoholic steatohepatitis
- Macrovesicular steatosis, especially perivenular
- Mallory hyaline bodies
- Perivenular sinusoidal fibrosis, sclerosing hyaline necrosis
- Lobular focal necroinflammatory change with neutrophils
- Hepatocyte ballooning and necrosis
List 4 clinical complications of alcoholic steatohepatitis
- Liver: steatosis, steatohepatitis, cirrhosis, HCC
- CNS: wernicke-korsakoff psychosis
- GI: pancreatitis, gastritis
- Malnutrition and vitamin deficiency, iron deficiency anemia, dilated cardiomyopathy due to thiamine deficiency
- Pregancy: FAS
Describe how alcohol causes steatosis in liver
Shunting of normal substances away from catabolism and toward lipid biosynthesis, due to excessive alcohol dehydrogenase and acetaldehyde dehydrogenase
- Impaired assembly and secretion of lipoproteins
- Increased peripheral catabolism of fat
What clinicopathologic clues can help distinguish ASH from NASH
ASH: History of ETOH, ASTALT >2, central venous distribution of steatosis/fibrosis, mallorby bodies
NASH: obesity, diabetes, bypass surgery, hyperlipidemia metabolic disease, AST/ALT <1, more diffuse, more microvesicular steatosis, more frequent portal fibrosis fewer mallory bodies
Hepatitis viruses: List type of virus, viral family , transmission, incubation period, frequency of chronic liver disease, diagnosis on serology for ALL of
HEP A, B, C, D E
HAV: ssRNA, hepatovirus, F-O route, 2-4 weeks inc., NO chronic disease, IgM
HBV: dsDNA, hapadnavirus, parenteral/sexual/vertical, 4-16 weeks, 10% chronic, HBsAg/anti-HBcAg
HCV: ssRNA, falviridae, parenteral, 7-8 weeks, 80% chronic, PCR for HCV RNA
HDV: circular defective ssRA, subviral particle deltaviridae, parenteral, 4-16weeks, co-infection, IgM and IgG antibodies
HEV: ssRNA, calcivirus, F-O, 4-5 weeks, no chronic disease, PCR for HEV RNA
What possible drug-related liver injury patterns are there, and what is an associated drug
- Cholestatic; bland cholestasis w/o inflammation eg. contraceptives
- cholestatic hepatitis eg. antibiotics
- hepatocellular necrosis; spotty to massive necrosis; eg acetomenophen, methyldopa
- steatosis (macrovesicular) eg. methotrexate, steroids
- steatohepatitis; microvesicular eg. amiodarone
- fibrosis; periportal eg. methotrexate
- granulomas eg. sulfonamides
- vascular (venoocclusive) eg. chemotherapy, OCP, tamoxifen
- neoplasms (adenomas, HCC, cholangio, angioarcoma) eg. OCP, thorotrast
List the classification of neonatal cholestasis
- Bile duct obstruction (extrahepatic biliary atresia)
- Neonatal infection (CMV, bacterial sepsis)
- Toxic (drugs, parenteral nutrition)
- Metabolic disease (tyrosinemia, Niemann-Pick, Galactosemia, a-1-antitrypsin, cystic fibrosis
- Misc (hypoperfusion, Algilles with paucity of bile ducts)
- idopathic neonatal hepatitis
What is the ddx of lobular neutrophilic infiltrate in the liver
- alcoholic steatohepatitis
- Liver infection/sepsis
- Medication
- Surgical hepatitis
- Virus (CMV, herpes) in immunocompromised
What is the role of liver biopsy in diagnosis of fatty liver disease
- Confirm/exclude diagnosis
- Differentiate steatosis from steatohepatitis
- Assess necroinflammatory activity, fibrosis, architecture alterations