Objective To explore the clinical and pathological characters of chronic hepatitis B (CHB) in combination with hepatic steatosis in the elderly.Methods Totally 223 elderly patients with CHB and hepatic steatosis diagnosed by liver biopsy were retrospectively analyzed and 220 nonelderly patients with CHB and hepatic steatosis were randomly selected as control group.Clinical and pathological features and change in liver histology were compared between the two groups.Results The incidences of hypertension,coronary heart disease,type 2 diabetes mellitus and metabolic syndrome were increased in elderly groups (all P＜0.01 or 0.05),while the proportion of patients with hyperlipemia and obesity were decreased as compared with non-elderly group (both P＜0.01).The levels of body mass index,serum triglyceride and HBV-DNA were lower in elderly group than in non-elderly group (all P＜0.01).The ratio of mild degree of CHB was elevated in elderly group as compared with non-elderly group (P＜0.05).Liver histopathological examination showed that the proportion of patients with the inflammation grade less than G2 and fibrotic stages exceeding S2 were increased,while the positive rate of HBcAg by immunohistochemistry was reduced in elderly group as compared with non-elderly group (both P＜0.05).Conclusions The degree of inflammatory liver injury and inflammation grade are slighter,but the fibrotic stage is more serious in elderly patient with CHB and hepatic steatosis,which indicating a slower progress of liver injury.It is still to be investigated whether metabolic syndrome,hypertension,coronary heart disease and type 2 diabetes mellitus are easily complicated in elderly patient with CHB and hepatic steatosis.The serum hepatitis B virus DNA replication may be negatively correlated with ageing.