Ground glass hepatocyte

In liver pathology, a ground glass hepatocyte, abbreviated GGH, is a liver parenchymal cell with a flat hazy and uniformly dull appearing cytoplasm on light microscopy. The cytoplasm's granular homogeneous eosinophilic staining is caused by the presence of HBsAg.

Micrograph showing ground glass hepatocytes. H&E stain.

The appearance is classically associated with abundant hepatitis B antigen in the endoplasmic reticulum, but may also be drug-induced.^[1][2] In the context of hepatitis B, GGHs are only seen in chronic infections, i.e. they are not seen in acute hepatitis B.

GGHs were first described by Hadziyannis et al.^[2][3]

Types

Several different types of GGHs are recognized:^[4]

• Type I - morphologically consist of GGHs that are scattered singly and have weak Pre-S2 positive immunostaining.
• Type II - morphologically consist of GGHs that are in clusters and have Pre-S2 negative immunostaining.

There is some evidence to suggest that type II GGHs predispose to hepatocellular carcinoma.^[2][5]

See also

• Drug reaction
• Mallory body
• Viral hepatitis

Additional images

• 
  Micrograph showing ground glass hepatocytes. H&E stain.
• 
  Micrograph showing ground glass hepatocytes. H&E stain.
• 
  Micrograph showing ground glass hepatocytes. H&E stain.