Hepatic granulomas

[Kai]

Hepatic granulomas are small abnormal clumps of cells that form when certain disorders are present or certain drugs are taken.
(See also Overview of Liver Tumors.)
Granulomas themselves usually cause no problems, but the disorders that cause them may.
Granulomas have many causes. The most common are

Certain drugs
Certain disorders that affect the whole body (often infections, such as tuberculosis and schistosomiasis)
Sarcoidosis

Granulomas occur less commonly in liver disorders but may be present in primary biliary cholangitis.
Granulomas may form when cells of the immune system gather to respond to irritants or to defend the body against foreign substances in the liver. Usually, liver function is unaffected, although liver-related blood tests may be abnormal. Granulomas may form as part of widespread inflammation, which may be a reaction to a drug or to an infection. If inflammation is widespread, the liver may malfunction. Rarely, the inflammation results in scar tissue and high blood pressure in the veins that bring blood from the intestine to the liver (called portal hypertension).