A transient emergence of hepatic granulomas in a patient with chronic hepatitis B

So far there were no reports but one on a hepatic granuloma in chronic hepa titis B virus (HBV) infection. We present a case of chronic hepatitis B wit h a transient emergence of hepatic granulomas. The case was a 35-year-old m ale who had chronic hepatitis with persistent hepatitis B surface antigen i n the sera. A liver biopsy showed noncaseating granulomas in the parenchyma and a mild portal enlargement with mononuclear cell infiltration. The cell ular components of the granulomas were mainly cluster of differentiation bs -positive macrophages with a fem lymphocytes in the periphery. However, no granulomas mere found in a liver specimen obtained three weeks after the fi rst liver biopsy. Possible disorders causing hepatic granulomas such as tub erculosis, sarcoidosis, drugs and other infectious diseases mere ruled out by clinical, serological and histopathological examination. Thus it is poss ible that the transient emergence of hepatic granulomas is a phenomenon rel ated to chronic HBV infection.