TABLE 8.   Differentiating viral and alcoholic hepatitis
	Viral hepatitis	Alcoholic hepatitis
History	Risk factors	Significant alcoholic intake
Physical examination	Mild hepatomegaly, extrahepatic stigmata not prominent	Moderate to marked hepatomegaly, florid stigmata
Laboratory examination	AST variable ALT > AST	AST <300 AST > ALT (often 2:1 or more)
Liver biopsy	Mononuclear cells Portal tract centered Ground glass cells (HBV) Special stains (HBV)	Polymorphs Pericentral, diffuse Mallory's hyaline Fat