Characterization of different types of hepatitis using Ultrasonography

Abstract

Viral hepatitis is one of the diseases that affect the liver and occurs worldwide; it is responsible of millions of deaths secondary to acute hepatic necrosis or chronic hepatitis which in turn may lead to portal hypertension, cirrhosis and hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). The objective of this research was to characterize different types of hepatitis using medical ultrasonography. 60 patients with positive laboratory test of hepatitis of one of the three types (A, B & C) were enrolled in the study and scanned with ultrasonography. The study showed that the males are common affected than female (71.7% male &28.3% female). The frequency of viral hepatitis increased in child and younger adults. Furthermore the liver echogenicity of different types of hepatitis, the study showed that 75 % (15 of 20 patients) with hepatitis-A had hypoechoic liver echogenicity( starry night appearance),the rest of patients with hepatitis-A appear normal. Furthermore hepatitis-B and C the most (75%) are normal in echogenicity. The study showed 56.7% (34 of 60 patients) had wall thickening( more than 3 mm) and43.3% showed normal wall thickness, although it is not specific finding for hepatitis, because another diseases like heart failure, metabolic disease and bacterial infection cause gall wall thickening. The study concluded that the ultrasound only is not efficient modality to characterize hepatitis but sometimes can suggest the diagnosis of hepatitis A in the correct clinical situation. The study recommend that follow up ultrasound scanning is recommended for infected patients when develop changes in liver and gallbladder.