A 60-year-old man who had longstanding congestive heart failure complained of pain under the right costal margin. He died of worsening heart failure. At autopsy, the liver appeared enlarged and congested, showing a "nutmeg pattern" on cross section. Histologically this liver will show
A) atrophy of bile ducts
B) dilatation of bile ducts
C) intralobular cholestasis
D) centrolobular necrosis and loss of hepatocytes
E) fibrosis of the Glisson capsule

Question

Quizplus · Accepted Answer

Chronic passive congestion of the liver caused by heart failure leads to accumulation of blood in the terminal hepatic venule and the centrolobular sinusoids. Aggravation of the heart failure expands the blood-containing spaces, causing centrolobular liver cell necrosis.

A 60-Year-Old Man Who Had Longstanding Congestive Heart Failure Complained