Which are examples of hepatocellular disease?

• A. Cholangiocarcinoma, choledocholithiasis
• B. Portal hypertension, portal vein thrombosis
• C. Budd-Chiari syndrome
• D. Fatty liver, hepatitis, cirrhosis, glycogen storage disease, hemochromatosis

Answer: (D)

Diseases that primarily involve the liver cells themselves are hepatocellular diseases. Fatty liver, hepatitis, cirrhosis, glycogen storage disease, and hemochromatosis all affect hepatocytes or the liver parenchyma directly, through fat accumulation, inflammation, scarring, storage of glycogen, or iron overload, respectively. In contrast, cholangiocarcinoma and choledocholithiasis involve the biliary ducts, not the liver cells themselves; Budd-Chiari is a vascular problem of hepatic venous outflow; and portal hypertension or portal vein thrombosis are vascular/portal circulation issues. So the group that lists conditions directly impacting hepatocytes represents hepatocellular disease.