Prevalence and prognostic value of hepatic histological alterations in patients with Crohn’s disease

AbstractVariable degrees of liver histological changes in patients with Crohn’s disease (CD) have been reported. Objective. To evaluate the liver histological alterations and their prognostic significance in patients affected by CD without abnormalities of liver biochemical parameters and ultrasound features. Material and Methods. A prospective, single-blind study, including 35 consecutive patients with CD that underwent bowel resection with a contemporary performance of liver biopsy from 1992 to 2003. Exclusion criteria: the presence of standard causes of liver disease, such as alcohol consumption exceeding 20 g/day, primary sclerosing cholangitis, viral infections, celiac disease, metabolic syndrome and alterations of the metabolism. Patients were followed up with regular evaluation of hepatic cytolysis, cholestasis, synthesis and ultrasound performance. After a mean interval of 14 years (from May to December 2013), liver fibrosis was assessed by Fibroscan®. Results. Histological alterations were shown ...