Aspect of the evolution of viral hepatitis two years after the acute phase

A group of 214 nonselected former patients with viral hepatitis of which 15 HBsAg negative and 62 HBsAg positive, was studied prospectively by following the evolutive variations between the first and second year after the acute phase of disease. In both groups the percentage of cured cases increased moderately but the evolutive process toward the chronic stage was observed to reappear in some of the cases apparently cured thus proving that the process of becoming chronic is not completed within 1 year after the acute phase. The percentage of chronic cases after HBsAg positive hepatitis is clearly higher than after HBsAg negative hepatitis the difference being more evident in active chronic hepatitis. The risk of becoming chronic is greater after HBsAg positive viral hepatitis with prolonged clinical forms and the HB antigen also persists longer in the serum. In conclusion the necessity of clinical and biologic control of all former patients with viral hepatitis for at least 2 years after the acute phase is strongly emphasized.