[Alcoholic liver disease in Venezuela. Clinical hepato-functional and histopathologic course]

24 patients with alcoholic intake were classified according to the amount of alcohol ingestion; clinical symptoms and signs, liver function tests (bilirubin, aminotransferases and prothrombin time) were analyzed. In all patients a percutaneous liver biopsy was performed and tissue stained by hematoxylin-eosin, wilder reticulin and Mallory trichromic. 9 Histologic criteria were analyzed. 4 groups according to the histology were identified. Group 1 (5 patients) hepatic fibrosis and/or fatty liver. Group 2 (5 patients) alcoholic hepatitis. Group 3 (10 patients) cirrhosis. Group 4 (4 patients) normal. 20% of patients with fatty liver, 80% of alcoholic hepatitis and 100% of cirrhotics referred ingestion or more than 160 g of ethanol and important correlation between liver histological damage and alcohol ingestion. Telangiectasia was the most common clinical finding and present in all hepatitis, 70% of cirrhotics and only 20% of fatty livers. Hemosiderosis was found in 60% of cirrhotics and in alcoholic hepatitis. Only 40% of patients with fatty liver and inflammatory cells while this was evident in all patients with alcoholic hepatitis and those with cirrhosis. Mallory bodies were identified in only 20% of cirrhotics and in none of the alcoholic hepatitis. The results suggest that there are significant differences from a histological and clinical point of view that distinguish alcoholic liver disease as seen in Venezuela from that reported in other countries.