病毒性肝炎时少数肝细胞发生坏死称为点状坏死。甲肝很少引起显著的坏死，但乙肝能够导致广泛肝细胞坏死的爆发型肝炎。右侧箭头下方，大的粉红色细胞正在发生“气球样变”。进一步发展，如左侧箭头所示，濒临死亡的肝细胞正浓缩形成嗜酸性小体。
Individual hepatocytes are affected by viral hepatitis. Viral hepatitis A rarely leads to signficant necrosis, but hepatitis B can result in a fulminant hepatitis with extensive necrosis. A large pink cell undergoing "ballooning degeneration" is seen below the right arrow. At a later stage, a dying hepatocyte is seen shrinking down to form an eosinophilic "councilman body" below the arrow on the left.
