Acute type B viral hepatitis due to accidental transfusion of blood containing HBs Ag in a patient with liver cirrhosis.

Patients with liver cirrhosis have the opportunity of receiving blood transfusions rather frequently. Accidental transfusion of blood containing HBs Ag occurred in such a case. Recently, we encountered a case of hepatocellular carcinoma based on posthepatitic cirrhosis in which an emergency blood transfusion because of massive hematemesis from a gastric ulcer was followed by acute B type viral hepatitis. The remainder of the transfused blood was preserved an we tested it serologically when the symptoms of acute viral hepatitis were manifested. We are able to detect hepatitis B surface antigen in the serum. In this patient, the preceding liver cirrhosis did not influence on the clinical course of acute B type viral hepatitis and conversely, the acute B type viral hepatitis did not have any influence on the subsequent clinical course of the liver cirrhosis.