The significance of Mallory bodies in the progression of fatty liver into cirrhosis.

Two groups of liver biopsies with fatty change, one with and one without Mallory bodies, are compared morphologically, and the corresponding groups of patients are compared biochemically and clinically. Both the morphological and the biochemical activity are greater in the group with Mallory bodies, and, as the morphological follow-up shows a significantly more frequent development of cirrhosis in the group with Mallory bodies, there is good reason to believe that Mallory bodies and alcoholic hepatitis give rise to development of connective tissue in the parenchyma and are the common cause for development of cirrhosis in alcoholics with livers exhibiting fatty change.