[Chronic hepatic cytolysis syndrome in southern Africa]

Accidental discovery of a moderate and durable increase of transaminases in an asymptomatic patient is a more frequent possibility thanks to the development of methodological case findings activities. Most of the time, it is an isolated anomaly of which import and consequences have been already reviewed and published. Steatosis and chronic hepatitis are, by far, the most frequent etiologies in Western Countries. But the right importance of that syndrome in tropical hepatology has not been yet described. If we want to transpose results and what has to be done namely liver biopsy, to African medical practice, we have to take into due consideration local pathology, diagnosis facilities and/or therapeutic possibilities. The present article reviews the present knowledge on chronic liver cytolysis syndrome and discusses its interest in tropical Medicine.