Familial occurrence of giant cell hepatitis in infancy.

The repeated occurrence within one family or giant cell hepatitis terminating in death is reported. The familial form of giant cell hepatitis has a poorer prognosis than that occuring sporadically. In the first case, reported earlier, primary liver cancer developed within a short time. In the second case, reported here, the progression of the course of the disease which terminated in cirrhosis was followed in a series of histological examinatons made at five different points of time. Electronmicroscopic examination were also conducted.