Histologic findings in alcoholic liver disease.

The necessity of the liver being the organ responsible for metabolism of alcohol exposes it to many untoward toxic side effects. In the first instance of hepatic steatosis, fibrosis may occur indolently over years, slowly converting a greasy, steatotic liver into a cirrhotic liver. In the case of alcoholic hepatitis, brisk sinusoidal fibrosis may lead to more rapid development of cirrhosis, with the liver extensively subdivided by sublobular fibrous septa developing in the midst of extensive ongoing inflammation and hepatocellular destruction. Continued destruction of the parenchyma after cirrhosis has developed may produce a densely fibrotic organ with little remaining parenchyma.