Role of chronic viral hepatitis in development of liver cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma

Gromova N.I.

Epidemiological, physical and laboratory examination of 578 patients with viral hepatitis B, C and Delta was conducted in order to determine the incidence of irreversible changes in liver tissue of patients with these conditions. 58/578 patients had confirmed liver cirrhosis of viral etiology. Incidence of liver cirrhosis varied significantly between groups of patients with viral hepatitis of different etiology. It was 14,3% in patients with chronic hepatitis C (CHC) and 7% in patients with chronic hepatitis B (CHB) without Delta infection, whereas among patients with CHB and Delta infection it was 10 times higher — 73,3%. Additionally, the incidence of hepatocellular carcinoma in patients with CHB was higher then in patients with CHC — 23,8% and 13,5%, respectively. In patients with CHB-associated liver cirrhosis lethality rate was higher (42,9%) then in patients with CHC-associated cirrhosis (16,2%).