[Involvement of the biliary duct in patient with acute icteric hepatitis]

The biliary duct system was studied in 850 patients with acute icteric hepatitis. Acute inflammation of the biliary duct was found in 50.94% of all cases, and in most patients, the damage of the hepatic cells and the inflammatory process in the biliary duct system recovered synchronously. In the remaining 7% of the cases, the biliary duct inflammation underwent chronic process. At acute stage, extrahepatic bile duct obstruction was caused by edema, mucus emboli, and bile sludge in 9.18 of all cases, and surgical drainage of the common bile duct was performed in 1.4% of the cases. Using Victoria Blue method, HBsAg was detected in tissues of both extra-and intrahepatic bile duct system, and the bile was also found to contain HBsAg by means of ELISA method. The authors came to the conclusion that hepatitis virus causes damage to the biliary duct system as well as the liver cells.