Characterization of structural disorders of the liver depending on the duration of subhepatic cholestasis in patients of different age groups

Abstract

The aim: To study structural disorders of the liver depending on the duration of subhepatic cholestasis in patients of different age groups. Materials and methods: 50 obstructive jaundice patients were subdivided into two groups. Group I (n = 25) consisted of young (18–44-year-old) and middle-aged patients (45–59-year-old), while the Group II (n = 25) included elderly (60–74-year-old) and senile patients (75–90-year-old). Results: We performed morphological and morphometric studies of 50 liver biopsy specimens taken from patients of different age groups with different duration of obstructive jaundice: less than 7 days, 7-14 days, 14-21 days, 21-28 days, and over 28 days. Conclusions: In patients of the Groups I and II, pathological hepatic changes in the early stages of mechanical jaundice were manifested in the form of hepatocyte dystrophy and hepatitis development. In the Group I patients, manifestations of steatohepatitis, fibrosis and initial signs of liver cirrhosis were noted in the late stages of subhepatic cholestasis. In addition to the above-mentioned changes, Group II patients, in the late stages of mechanical jaundice, presented signs of severe fibrosis and well-shaped liver cirrhosis. Taking into account the above morphological changes in the liver with different duration of subhepatic cholestasis, we consider reasonable to decompress bile ducts in patients of older age groups at earlier stages of mechanical jaundice compared to young and middle-aged patients, thus preventing post-decompression liver dysfunction and the subsequent development of biliary cirrhosis.