[Ultrastructural changes in the hepatocytes in chronic delta infection]

Electron microscopy and morphometry were used to study liver biopsies from 22 patients with chronic active hepatitis. On the basis of clinico-morphological data 9 patients were diagnosed as having chronic active delta hepatitis and 13 patients chronic active hepatitis B. The studies indicate more marked involvement of hepatocytes in chronic delta hepatitis as compared with chronic hepatitis of HB virus etiology. Morphometric methods allow quantitation of the degree of manifestations of hepatocyte ultrastructural changes in the two groups of patients.