Liver pathological alterations in fetal rabbit model of congenital diaphragmatic hernia

To date, fetal liver implication is not a well‐understood phenomenon in congenital diaphragmatic hernia (CDH). We evaluated the fetal morphologic changes on liver growth after surgical procedure in CDH experimental model. A diaphragmatic defect at gestational day E25 and tracheal occlusion (TO) at E27 were surgically created in rabbit fetuses. Five experimental groups were assessed: control group, left CDH, right CDH, CDH + TO, and TO alone. Body and organ growth were measured. For histological evaluation of the CDH effect, liver sections were collected. Left‐CDH group had livers with increased leukocyte infiltration in comparison with controls (p = 0.02). Increased capillary sinusoid congestion and hepatocyte vacuolation were greater in left‐CDH compared with the right‐CDH group (p = 0.05). Capillary sinusoid congestion and interstitial edema were more evident in the left‐CDH compared with CDH + TO group (p = 0.05). Increases in sinusoid congestion, hepatocyte vacuolation, and interstitial edema were also greater in the CDH + TO compared with controls (p ≤ 0.02). Intrathoracic liver weight was higher in right‐CDH compared with left‐CDH group (p