A group of 41 patients (25 males and 16 females) with mild chronic active hepatitis was studied for a mean follow-up period of 6.5 years. All patients had liver biopsy on admission and a second biopsy during the follow-up period. All but 7 patients were treated with prednisolone. Most of the patients were asymptomatic. There was no history of alcohol abuse or chronic administration of drugs. Fourteen patients were HBsAg positive and 27 HBsAg negative. Circulating autoantibodies were absent. Thirty-three patients did not demonstrate any change in disease activity. Four developed liver cirrhosis and four were apparently cured.