Author/Editor		Kralj, E; Balažic, J; Luzar, B; Poljak, M; Zupanc, T; Zorec-Karlovšek, M
Title		Virusni hepatitis in izkušnje Inštituta za sodno medicino v Ljubljani
Type		članek
Source		In: Ferlan-Marolt V, Luzar B, editors. Viral hepatitis. Proceedings of the 35th memorial meeting to professor Janez Plečnik with international participation; 2004 Dec 2-3; Ljubljana. Ljubljana: Faculty of medicine, Institute of pathology,
Publication year		2004
Volume		str. 260-7
Language		slo
Abstract		Drug-related infectious diseases - HIV infection, hepatitis B and hepatitis C are among the most serious health conseguences of injecting drug use. Injecting drug users may also act as a core groups of infection that pose a continuous threat of spread of infection to the general population. In an attempt to clarify epidemiological and histological characteristics of the liver damage in intravenous drug users in our population we have reviewed liver specimens of users of illicit drugs, that have been autopsied at the Institute of forensic medicine in Ljubljana in the period 1996 - 2003. All liver specimens were analyzed with histological methods. Immunohistochemical stainings (HBs and HBc) were applied in cases of chronic hepatitis. The analysis revealed a high percentage (36%) of chronic hepatitis, finding similar to liver pathology in autopsied drug addicts in the area of Milan. We suppose that majority of cases of chronic hepatitis in our series represents viral hepatitis C, but serological analyses that could prove the diagnosis was lacking in 71% of cases. Comparison with clinical biopsies has shown surprisingly advanced disease. In order to get better insight into etiology of hepatitis in drug victims in our population, we have decided to include serological investigations in future post mortem analyses in cases of drug related deaths.
Descriptors		HEPATITIS, VIRAL, HUMAN AUTOPSY SUBSTANCE ABUSE DETECTION STREET DRUGS SUBSTANCE ABUSE, INTRAVENOUS DEATH, SUDDEN