[Acute herpetic hepatitis: clinico-pathological study of two cases]

Two cases of acute herpetic hepatitis affecting immunocompetent adults after surgery, are reported. They point out the relevance of liver biopsy for the diagnosis of these generally unrecognized infections. Liver biopsy allows not only diagnosis but also the identification of the virus on tissue sections with immunohistochemistry or in situ hybridization. The prognosis of herpetic hepatitis which can be correlated with the extension of apoptosis, remains poor despite the appearance of antiviral drugs. An apoptosis score could represent an interesting prognostic factor whose value remains to be assessed.