Characteristics of autopsy material in cases of chronic diffuse pathology of the liver parenchyma diagnosed during patient’s lifetime using the ultrasound method

Abstract

The aim: Of the study is to analyze autopsy cases where chronic diffuse pathology of the liver parenchyma was diagnosed during patient’s lifetime using the ultrasound method. In this study archival material (autopsy protocols and microspecimens of these cases) of the pathological anatomy department of the Communal Nonprofit Enterprise «Regional Clinical Hospital» (Kharkiv) was used for the period from 2012 to 2018. The cases diagnosed with a chronic diffuse pathology of the liver parenchyma according to ultrasound data were selected among all cases. Results: The term «chronic diffuse pathology of the liver parenchyma», which is widely used in ultrasound diagnostics, is morphologically a collective term that combines pathological conditions such as fatty hepatosis, fibrosis or cirrhosis of the liver, chronic hepatitis, malignant tumors of the liver, metastatic liver damage and liver infiltration by leukemic cells, liver abscesses. According to the analysis of archival material for the period from 2012 to 2018, there was no change in the relative number of cases with fatty hepatosis, fibrosis or cirrhosis of the liver, chronic hepatitis, malignant tumors of the liver, metastatic liver damage and liver infiltration by leukemic cells, liver abscesses. Among all cases with revealed liver pathology, both separately by year and as a whole for the entire studied period, a predominance of the relative number of cases with fatty hepatosis, fibrosis or cirrhosis of the liver was noted. The ultrasound term «chronic diffuse pathology of the liver parenchyma», taking into account the few cases identified during the analysis where the morphological picture of the liver corresponded to the age norm, needs to be improved, as well as additional diagnostic criteria should be developed in order to correctly use it in practice and avoid diagnostic errors. Conclusions: The term «chronic diffuse pathology of the liver parenchyma», which is widely used in ultrasound diagnostics, is morphologically a collective term that combines pathological conditions such as fatty hepatosis, fibrosis or cirrhosis of the liver, chronic hepatitis, malignant tumors of the liver, metastatic liver damage and liver infiltration by leukemic cells, liver abscesses. The ultrasound term «chronic diffuse pathology of the liver parenchyma» needs to be improved as well as additional diagnostic criteria should be developed in order to correctly use it in practice and avoid diagnostic errors.