Histopathological findings from the investigation of paediatric acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology, United Kingdom 2022.

Callaby, H.; McGuire, E.; Rajwal, S.; Stahlschmidt, J.; Hartley, J.; Brown, RM.; Deheragoda, M.; Quaglia, A.; Rampling, T.; Houlihan, CF.; Claire Gordon, N.; Brown, CS.; Simmons, R.; Samson, A.; Mandal, S.; Grammatikopoulos, T.; Demirjian, A.

Histopathological findings from the investigation of paediatric acute hepatitis of unknown aetiology, United Kingdom 2022.

All Authors

Callaby, H.

McGuire, E.

Rajwal, S.

Stahlschmidt, J.

Hartley, J.

Brown, RM.

Deheragoda, M.

Quaglia, A.

Rampling, T.

Houlihan, CF.

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LTHT Author

Rajwal, Sanjay
Stahlschmidt, Jens

LTHT Department

Leeds Children's Hospital
Hepatology
Histopathology
Pathology

Publication Date

2024

Item Type

Journal Article

Abstract

In 2022, there were global reports of increased numbers of acute hepatitis not explained by hepatitis A-E virus infection in children. This manuscript summarises histopathology results from 20 patients in the United Kingdom who underwent liver transplant or had a liver biopsy as part of aetiological investigations. All available histopathological samples were reviewed centrally as part of the outbreak investigation. A working group comprised of infection specialists, hepatologists and histopathologists met virtually to review the cases, presentation, investigations and histopathology. All 20 liver samples had evidence of inflammation without significant interface activity, and submassive confluent pan-lobular or multilobular hepatocellular necrosis. Overall, the predominant histopathological findings were of acute nonspecific hepatitis with submassive hepatic necrosis and central vein perivenulitis and endothelitis. Histopathological findings were a poor indicator of aetiology.