Liver Pathology Flashcards
Describe hepatocyte function in each zone
- “Born”
- “Grow up”
- Reach maturity, most metabolically active + eventually die
What occurs in zone 3 of the liver?
Hepatocytes metabolise xenobiotics to toxic substances
Thus most alcoholic liver damage occurs in zone 3
Describe the blood flow in the liver
Hepatic artery + portal vein bring blood to liver
Blood travels through sinusoids, O2 absorbed by hepatocytes along the way
pO2 much lower when blood reaches zone 3 where cells are most metabolically active - problem in alcoholics
What is shown by each arrow?
Blue: Portal triad
Yellow: Central vein
What is shown by each arrow?
Blue: Portal vein
Purple: Bile duct
Green: Hepatic artery
What is shown in this picture?
Yellow: Hepatocytes
Red: Bile duct canaliculi
red + white cells lining sinusoids
Describe the organisation of cells in a sinusoid
Hepatic sinusoid: blood flows through
Kupfer cells: resident macrophages in sinusoids
Discontinuous endothelial cells: allows blood plasma to enter space of disse
Stellate cells: in space of disse, store Vit A
Hepatocytes with microvillous border projecting into space of disse
Describe the cellular changes in a sinusoid due to liver injury (5)
Kupfer cells are activated
Stellate cells become myofibroblasts- contract + secrete collagen
Gaps between endothelial cells closed, firmly attached
Fibrillar collagen deposited in space of disse
Difficult for blood to reach hepatocytes + hepatocytes lose microvillous border
Which 4 features define cirrhosis?
- Whole liver involved
- Fibrosis
- Nodules of regenerating hepatocytes
- Distortion of liver vascular architecture: intra- + extra-hepatic shunting of blood (e.g. gastro-oesophageal)
What are the functional consequences of the vascular problems in cirrhosis?
No metabolic homeostasis
Hepatocytes themselves don’t receive nutrition they require
What is the consequence of the liver being unable to filter blood due to intra and extra hepatic shunts?
Unfiltered, toxic blood goes to heart + is delivered to the rest of the body
What is shown here?
Whole liver involved
Nodules
What is shown here?
Nodule surrounded by fibrous tissue
How is cirrhosis classified?
According to aetiology
1. Alcohol/ insulin resistance (usually micro nodular)
2. Viral hepatitis etc. (usually macro nodular)
Give 3 clinical complications of cirrhosis
Portal HTN
Hepatic encephalopathy
Liver cell cancer
What is shown here?
Large oesophageal varicie
What is shown here? What causes this?
Enlarged spleen
Back pressure of blood in portal circulation leads to passive enlargement of spleen
If palpable, likely portal HTN + probably cirrhotic
What can be seen here?
Cirrhotic liver with cancer visible
Until recently what was believed about cirrhosis?
That it was irreversible
It may be reversible if equilibrium is shifted as fibrosis is dynamic
Collagen is deposited + can be broken down
What are the most common causes of acute hepatitis?
Viruses: Hep A-E. A+E most common
Drugs: all drugs metabolised by liver. If PO, will reach gut 1st then transported to liver
What can be seen here? What is this pathogonomic of?
Spotty necrosis in Acute hepatitis
Damage to hepatocytes a/w lymphocytes
Damage focused in liver lobule
What are the most common causes of chronic hepatitis?
Viral hepatitis: B, C, D - D dependent on B
Drugs
AI: F>M, more prone to other AI
How are the histological findings in chronic hepatitis assessed?
Grade: severity of inflammation- how awful it looks down microscope
Stage: severity of fibrosis- how far along from normal to cirrhotic
What can be seen here?
Blue: inflammatory cells in portal tract
Red: limiting plate- interface between portal tract + hepatocytes
What can be seen here?
Interface hepatitis aka piecemeal necrosis
Limiting plate more difficult to see
Inflammation crossing limiting plate
Hepatocyte apoptosis drives fibrosis