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Volume 5 Issue 11 (November, 2017)

Original Articles

Analysis of Autopsies of Liver and Pancreas in Patients with Chronic Alcoholics
Namrata Punit Awasthi

Background: The frequency of co-existing alcoholic related pancreatitis (AP) and liver disease (ALD) is less well-studied and the reported estimate is just about 0.04 to 5%. The present study was performed to evaluate the effects of chronic alcoholism in liver and pancreas with the help of histopathology. Materials & Methods: It involved 460 medical autopsies. In all cases, autopsies were performed within the 2 hours of death. Multiple representative tissue blocks were taken from different areas of liver and pancreas. In addition to routine H and E staining done in all the sections, reticulin, Mason's trichrome and Elastic Van Giesen stainings were also carried out in selected liver and pancreatic sections according to indication. Any liver weight < 1200 gms was considered as having reduced in weight and any liver weight > 1300 gms was considered as having increased in weight.  Results: Out of 460 autopsies, 320 were from males and 140 were from females. The difference was significant (P<0.05). Liver is enlarged in 345 cases, shrunken (92), normal (23). Cirrhotic in 345 cases which shows macronodules (200), macronodules (145) and non- cirrhotic (115). Non cirrhotic including norma liver was seen in 115 cases, fatty in 250 cases, cirrhotic (14) and normal in 20 cases. Consistency is firm (360), soft (40), normal (30) and necrosis (30). The difference was significant (P<0.05). Microscopic findings of liver such as micro and macrovesicular steatosis (51%), microvesicular steatosis (24%), ballooning degeneration (26%), Mallory hyaline (42%), necrosis (35%) and inflammatory portal duct in 28% cases. The difference was significant (P<0.05). Histopathological findings in pancreas such as parenchymal acute inflammation (7), parenchymal necrosis with hemorrhage (6), fat necrosis (12), vessel necrosis (4), peri and intra lobular necrosis (30), ductal ectasis (12), fibrin thrombus (5) and parenchymal calcification (3). The difference was significant (P<0.05). Conclusion: Pancreatitis is not uncommon phenomenon in patients with alcoholic liver disease. Removal of alcohol resulted in reduction in pancreatic injury.
Key words: Alcoholic liver, Ductal ectasis Pancreatitis

Corresponding author: Dr. Namrata Punit Awasthi, Associate Professor, Department of Pathology, Dr Ram Manohar Lohia Institute of Medical Sciences, Lucknow, U.P., India

This article may be cited as: Awasthi NP. Analysis of Autopsies of Liver and Pancreas in Patients with Chronic Alcoholics. J Adv Med Dent Scie Res 2017;5(11):125-128.

 
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