[Enlargement of the lymph nodes of the hilus hepatis: a further ultrasonographic sign of acute viral hepatitis]

Abstract

Enlarged hilar lymph nodes are usually reported as the most frequent US finding in acute viral hepatitis. The authors compared this finding with other pathologic conditions--i.e., asymptomatic cholelithiasis and acute cholecystitis--and with gallbladder wall thickening, which is also observed in acute hepatitis. From their results, they drew the following conclusions: a) lymph node enlargement at the hepatic hilum was a very frequent finding (11/15) at US in the patients with acute viral hepatitis; b) its occurrence was statistically more frequent than in both cholelithiasis and cholecystitis; c) gallbladder wall thickening was found in 53.3% of the patients with acute hepatitis; d) lymph node enlargement and gallbladder wall thickening were not related. The authors suppose enlarged lymph nodes to be suggestive of hepatic damage in a pattern of immunological hyperactivity rather than the result of inflammatory gallbladder conditions during acute hepatitis. Since only 2 cases could be followed, the authors cannot discuss the prognostic significance of enlarged lymph nodes after cytolytic enzymatic signs of viral hepatitis have disappeared.