[Hepatic granulomas of infectious origins].

Hepatic granulomas of infectious origin are due to several causes. Bacterial and rickettsial infections are the most frequent (mainly tuberculosis, infections due to atypical mycobacteria, Q fever). However parasitic and fungal infections may also be involved. Histological characteristics of the granuloma are sometimes suggestive of the cause, but the aetiological diagnosis often results from a careful confrontation of clinical, biological, and histological data. One should always have in mind the possibility of tuberculosis, where an effective treatment must be given as early as possible. The cause of granulomas remains unknown in approximately half the cases after careful investigations.