Studies on the Remote Results of Epidemic Hepatitis On the Prevalence of Epidemic Hepatitis at Kagato-Cho, Wake-Gun, Okayama

A thourough examination was performed on the 319 cases, passed for more than one year after the release of treatment under the diagnosis of recovery or after the suspension of treatment at Kagato-Cho, Wake-Gun, Okayama in where there were prevalence of mild abortive form of epidemic hepatitis. 1. The cases having subjective symptom were 201 caces (63.0%) and their complaints were mainly the same to those on the course of disease. 2. Hepatomegaly in 77 cases (21.0%) and splenomegaly in 7 cases (2.2%) were ebserved. 3. Cases showing impairment in liver function test were 5.6-10.3% and cases showing a mild hyperbilirubinemia were 10 cases. 4. From the above results, cases required of treatment were 7 (2.2%), cases required of care 36 cases (11.3%). The concept that recovery of epidemic hepatitis was difficults was supported with the above results. 5. In the epidemics patients being required of treatment consisted of the second and third decades. 6. Duriug the last seven years, 1957 to 1963, 67 (21.3%) out of 314 cases of infections hepatitis in the epidemic areas developed into chronic hepatitis. 7. Acute stage of hepatitis at the onset was classified into three forms; typical, abortive and subclinical ones. 40.4% of the typical, 22.7% of the abortive and 36.2% of subclinical form progressed into chronic stage. Attention should be drawn to the high percentage of chronisity from the subclinical form of infectious hepatitis.