Learn about hepatocellular granuloma

Hepatocellular granuloma is a disease condition with the growth of many inflammatory cells (granulomas) in the liver. Let's refer to the article below to better understand the symptoms, causes of granulomatous disease, effective treatment and prevention.

Granulomatosis (Sarcoidosis) is a disease that produces small tumors that form inflammatory cells mainly in the lungs and can affect any organ in the body such as the liver, lymph nodes, .... Liver granulomas are growths of inflammatory cells (granulomas) in the liver. This disease is usually benign liver tumors and disappears on their own after a period of time. However, if they do not resolve on their own, they may cause disorders such as hepatitis, fibrosis, portal hypertension, or may be combined.
Liver granulomas, although sometimes not significant because the presence of granulomas does not mean that the hepatocytes are inflamed. Hepatocellular granulomas often reflect a clinical disease.

Liver granulomas are often caused by many causes, including:
Certain drugs: Allopurinol, phenylbutazone, quinidine, sulfonamides Bacterial infections: Tuberculosis, Actinomyces infection, brucella infection, cat scratch fever, syphilis, other mycobacterium infections , tularemia, Q fever,.. Fungal infections: Blastomyces, cryptococcal, histoplasma infections. Parasitic infections: schistosomiasis, feline parasites (toxoplasma), visceral larva migrans (visceral larva migrans) Viral infections: hepatitis C, cytomegalovirus infection Liver disorders: Cirrhosis Primary biliary system disorders: Hodgkin lymphoma, polymyalgia rheumatica, other connective tissue disorders, sarcoidosis Of the above, tuberculosis and schistosomiasis are the most common infectious causes, fungi and viruses are less common. Sarcoidosis is the most common non-infectious cause, with the liver being the affected organ in about two-thirds of patients

Signs and symptoms of hepatocellular granulomatous disease may include:
Hepatocellular granulomatosis is not specific, even when granulomatous cells spread, it only makes the liver slightly enlarged and yellow. skin is also rare. There may be fever, fatigue, itching, and pain in the upper right abdomen. If there is an underlying disease, the symptoms of that disease will appear as hepatosplenomegaly in schistosomiasis, systemic symptoms of infection. Diagnosis of hepatocellular granuloma is based on laboratory tests such as:
Liver function test Liver function test is usually done when granuloma is suspected. However, the results of this test are nonspecific and are rarely diagnostic. Alkaline Phosphatase and gamma-glutamyltransferase tests are usually mildly elevated. Other tests are normal or abnormal, reflecting concomitant liver damage (eg, widespread hepatitis due to drug reaction).
Imaging Diagnostic imaging tests such as ultrasound, CT scan, or MRI are not diagnostic. These methods may show calcifications if granulomas are long-established or occlusal images, especially with associated lesions.
Biopsy Diagnosis of hepatocellular granulomas is mainly based on liver biopsy. However, biopsy is indicated only to diagnose potentially treatable causes (eg, infection) or to rule out other disorders such as chronic viral hepatitis. Biopsy can reveal evidence of a specific cause, such as schistosomiasis eggs, tubercular necrosis of tuberculosis, and fungal spores. However, other cultures, skin tests, laboratory tests, imaging tests, and tissue samples are needed.
In patients with systemic symptoms or other symptoms suggestive of infection, specific measures should be taken to increase the sensitivity of biopsy for the diagnosis of infection; for example, part of a fresh biopsy sample is sent for culture or special dyes for acid-fast bacilli (AFB), fungi, and other organisms are used. Often, the cause of liver granulomatosis is difficult to pinpoint.

Treatment focuses on the underlying disease. Monitor the patient and monitor liver function tests periodically if the cause is not detected. However, if there are symptoms of tuberculosis or deterioration of health condition, empiric TB treatment may be acceptable.
For patients with hepatic sarcoidosis, corticosteroids may be useful, although their ability to prevent cirrhosis is still poorly established. However, corticosteroids are not indicated for most patients with sarcoidosis and are used only when TB and some other infection cannot be ruled out with certainty.
Currently effective ways to prevent disease include:
Don't smoke Avoid exposure to dust, dirt, chemicals, smoke and toxic gases Have a reasonable, healthy diet Drink lots of water Exercise, sports regularly Get enough sleep Perform regular health check-ups to detect disease in time and monitor disease progression and related health problems. Above is useful information about hepatocellular granulomatosis. If you have any concerns or questions, go to a medical facility to receive timely support from a doctor.