title: Chronic active hepatitis: a sixteen year survey at a district general hospital.
abstract: Over a period of 16 years (1971-87) all cases of chronic active hepatitis (CAH) diagnosed following liver biopsy have been reviewed to assess incidence, aetiology, outcome and response to treatment. North Tees District serves a population of 210,000 and 26 cases were identified (20 female) age range 9-73 years (median 56 years). Incidence remained constant at 1:100,000/year. Twenty cases (77%) had an immune aetiology. Other aetiologies were hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection, alpha-1AT deficiency, non-A non-B hepatitis and a complex multisystem disease. The median follow-up period was 50 months. There were 7 deaths, three unrelated to liver disease. Survival analysis gives an 86% 5-year survival and 56% 10-year survival. Twenty four patients were treated with steroids (and 6 additionally with azathioprine); 15 (63%) were steroid responsive and 9 were non-responsive. In five patients steroids were successfully discontinued but in 10 patients severe symptomatic relapse occurred on steroid reduction below 7.5-10 mg/day. Steroid non-responders were not typical CAH, 5 with predominantly a rise in alkaline phosphatase, one multisystem disease and one HBV positive. Steroid discontinuation was only possible in one third of the patients responding. Eighteen subjects (69%) were cirrhotic at initial biopsy; 9 had follow-up biopsies, 6 were unchanged but three had progressed to cirrhosis despite apparent steroid responsiveness.
authors.affiliation: Department of Medicine, North Tees General Hospital, Stockton on Tees, Cleveland, UK.
authors.forename: A R
authors.initials: AR
authors.lastname: Tanner
authors.forename: A W
authors.initials: AW
authors.lastname: Dellipiani
mesh_terms: D000206:Actuarial Analysis; D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D002648:Child; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006521:Hepatitis, Chronic / Q000188:drug therapy / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000401:mortality; D006767:Hospitals, District; D006769:Hospitals, General; D006779:Hospitals, Public; D006801:Humans; D015994:Incidence; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D011379:Prognosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D013256:Steroids / Q000627:therapeutic use; D013997:Time Factors; D006113:United Kingdom / Q000453:epidemiology
chemical_list: D013256:Steroids