Objective To evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of histopathologie analysis vs cytomegalovirus (CMV) detection for the diagnosis of CMV-infected hepatitis post liver transplantation. Methods Twenty-five biopsies with CMV infection and twenty-five without CMV infection were collected. Histopathologic observation, immunohistochemical staining and virus detection were performed on both groups to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of these examinations for the diagnosis of CMV-infected hepatitis. Results The detection rate of microabscess, aggregation of monocyte and rnacrophage, and cytomegalic change in CMV infection group was higher than that in the group without CMV infection (P<0.05), but there was no significant difference in intranuclear inclusion and eosinophilic body between the two groups (P>0.05). The sensitivity and specificity of IHC and PCR for CMV detection were 20% and 100%, 72% and 84%, respectively. Conclosions CMV detection with PCR combined with histological observation is the most effective diagnostic scheme for CMV disease of liver.