This is a practical course that focuses on common patterns of liver injury including acute hepatitis, chronic hepatitis, adult cholestatic liver diseases, fatty liver disease, and related entities. This course is designed for general surgical pathologists, as well as pathologists in training. Emphasis throughout the course will be on common diagnostic challenges and informative reporting.

The course will be organized as four sessions covering the above mentioned topics. Each topic will be introduced by a case presentation followed by a more complete discussion of relevant pathologic and clinical issues concerning the topic. A unique aspect of our course will be the presence of a hepatologist who will provide the course participants with valuable clinical information that will help guide interpretation and informative reporting.

A virtual slide, along with histories, for the cases that will introduce the topics will be posted on the USCAP website for review by pre-registrants prior to the meeting. A syllabus reviewing diagnostic features and differential diagnoses along with a comprehensive reference list will be distributed at the meeting. All course registrants will also receive web access to the complete presentation at the USCAP Annual Meeting along with the text portion of the syllabus after the meeting.

Upon completion of this educational activity, participants should be able to: 1) Identify patterns of injury commonly encountered in medical liver biopsies; 2) Formulate an appropriate differential diagnosis based on the pattern identified; 3) Correlate the pattern of injury with the clinical features to determine the correct diagnosis; and 4) Produce accurate and useful reports that will help determine appropriate medical therapy.