[Intrahepatic biliary gland proliferation its relation to acute and chronic cholangitis in hepatolithiasis]

Hepatolithiasis was studied histochemically and immunohistochemically in 100 cases. The results showed that there were numerous proliferated glandular structures with in intrahepatic bile duct wall verified by consecutive sections and mucus staining and tiny abscesses in the vicinity of biliary glands in the course of acute cholangitis. It is suggested that biliary infection may occur both intramurally and extramurally. When cholangitis subsided, we observed profound lymphocytes infiltration within the glandular structures. It was concluded that biliary glands not only served as a dominant channel for the spread of acute cholangitis but also had close relation to the persistence and recurrence of cholangitis.