Liver and Biliary System 2 Flashcards
What type of necrosis is most common in the liver?
Coagulative
How does coagulative necrosis appear histologically?
- Intact but dead hepatocytes
- Shrunken cells / intensely eosinophilic / altered nuclei
How is necrosis classified in the liver?
According to location e.g. focal, zonal or diffuse
Describe focal necrosis in the liver
- Aggregates of necrotic hepatocytes; random
- With disseminated infections > haematogenous / septicaemia
Describe zonal necrosis of the liver
- In particular part of lobule / acinus, but: in whole liver
- Centrolobular / periacinar necrosis
- Mid-zonal necrosis
- Periportal necrosis
How would disseminated multifocal necrosis appear grossly?
- White spots = necrosis
- Red rings = blood / haemorrhage
- EITHER disseminated or random or zonal (centrolobular is most common)
Describe the 3 zones in the liver
- Periportal = zone 1, Surrounding triads
- Mid-zonal = zone 2
- Centrolobular = zone 3
Which zone of necrosis is the most common and why?
Centrobular / periacinar necrosis (zone 3)
- Hepatocytes most at risk of hypoxia
- Metabolically active (cytochrome P450)
Describe massive (diffuse) necrosis
- Necrosis of entire lobe(s)
- With extensive zonal necrosis or circulatory disorder (infarction)
Describe the cause of massive (diffuse) necrosis in pigs and the associated diseases
- Vitamin E / selenium deficiency = Hepatosis dietetica
- Associated with oedema of gall bladder wall and “Mulberry heart disease” (multifocal myocardial haemorrhage and myofibre degeneration)
- Necrosis of whole acini > no surviving parenchyma > can’t regenerate
What are the different outcomes of hepatic necrosis?
• Removal of dead hepatocytes
• Resolution by either:
- regeneration of hepatocytes
- or: replacement of parenchyma by fibrous scar tissue (due to destruction of reticular framework)
Describe the reticulin framework and explain how it effects the outcome of necrosis
- Fibres that support cords of hepatic sinusoids
- If this is retained then the liver has a huge capacity to regenerate and it will reform lobules
- If this is lost the liver has to repair in other ways which can lead to chronic liver disease due to the laying down of fibrosis
What is the influencing factor on where fibrosis occurs at the site of necrosis?
Depends on the distribution of injury
What are the 4 different types of fibrosis?
- Periportal/biliary fibrosis
- Centrolobular/periacinar fibrosis
- Diffuse/bridging fibrosis
- Post-necrotic scarring (after massive necrosis)
Describe the 3 types of bridging fibrosis
Central-central: connects central veins (with chronic congestion)
Porto-portal: follows portal inflammation which extends to portal venules
Porto-central: after centrolobular necrosis
What is the outcome of bridging fibrosis?
Extensive fibrosis between hepatic cords
- Blue represents collagen – this prevents the exchange of oxygen and nutrients between the blood and hepatocytes which is impairing liver function
Describe hepatic cirrhosis and how it occurs
= end stage liver disease due to several causes
• Liver tries to repair itself but cant due to the ongoing fibrosis and degeneration -> hypoxia
What are the 3 characteristic features of hepatic cirrhosis?
DEGENERATION disruption of entire liver architecture
REGENERATION regenerative nodules of hepatocytes
REPAIR bridging fibrosis [central pathogenic process]
What are the two possible progressions of fibrosis in the liver?
- Worsen to cirrhosis
- Be reversible
Describe the features of regenerative nodules that occur in cirrhosis
- Composed of hepatocytes that look normal
- Lack of lobular organisation [no cords, no central vein, no portal triad]
- Often hydropic degeneration of hepatocytes
- Surrounded by fibrous connective tissue
What process acts as a further attempt of regeneration in liver
Bile duct proliferation
Describe the further characteristics of cirrhosis as it progresses?
- Parenchymal injury and fibrosis are diffuse throughout the whole organ
- Balance between regeneration and constrictive scarring -> nodularity
- Reorganisation of vascular structure [anastomoses] -> acquired extra-hepatic shunts
Describe the gross appearance of hepatic cirrhosis
Lots of nodular fibrosis, the liver between the nodules is paler and contracted due to fibrosis and scarring
Cut surface: pale areas of fibrosis with some prexisting tissue and new nodules
Describe the histological appearance of hepatic cirrhosis
Regenerative nodules with surrounding fibrosis. In-between there are the remains of the pre-existing hepatic parenchyma – shrunken and irregular