Nodular regenerative hyperplasia of the liver with and without portal hypertension: a comparison.

The clinical and the pathologic features of seven patients with nodular regenerative hyperplasia of the liver are analyzed and compared with those of 37 patients reported in the literature in an attempt to distinguish the features of those with portal hypertension from those without. Severe degrees of obliterative portal venopathy usually associated with the portal hypertension were found among the various pathological features. The association of nodular regenerative hyperplasia with a variety of chronic diseases suggests a heterogeneous group of pathogenic mechanisms. Our study reveals that only some of these mechanisms lead to the hepatic changes that cause portal hypertension.