Congenital hepatic fibrosis: evolving morphology

A clinicopathologic study of congenital hepatic fibrosis in 21 patients confirms a strong association with autosomal recessive renal polycystic disease. The liver specimens were subclassified into two groups according to the severity of fibrosis, showing typical hepatic abnormalities in young infants (mean age 0.3 years) and increased hepatic fibrosis in older patients (mean age 19.6 yr) (p less than 0.02). Apparent progression to perilobular fibrosis with parenchymal nodularity occasionally resembled cirrhosis when the nodules had a regenerative appearance because of rounded contours and inapparent central veins. Progression of fibrosis was observed in second biopsy specimens from 2 cases, but not in that of a 3rd, suggesting that factors other than the heritable disorder itself may be responsible for evolving morphology. Identifiable factors that may have contributed to increased fibrosis included localized intrahepatic biliary obstruction and biliary sepsis with suppuration. A factor possibly contributing to the pathogenesis of biliary sepsis was intrahepatic biliary ectasia, i.e., Caroli's disease, which appears to be one morphologic expression of CHF. This study shows that the hepatic abnormality evolves over time and that it may be altered by secondary complications.