[Clinical features of chronic hepatitis].

We review the clinical characteristics of the different forms of chronic active hepatitis, the classification and subclassification of the disease. The natural course and prognosis in the chronic active liver disease has been modified by the appearence of new serologic markers and better definition of clinical characteristics. The disease can be silent or asyntomatic. In an autoimmune chronic active hepatitis, the patients have clinical and biochemical features different from other types of chronic hepatitis, autoantibodies specific, and non specific. Early diagnosis by liver biopsy is very important by the risk of cirrhosis. The natural history of the disease has been modified by the use of immunospressive drugs, steroids and recently, antiviral therapy. Long-term prognosis in chronic active hepatitis is poor.