The diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis

Primary biliary cirrhosis--presentation and diagnosis.

Primary biliary cirrhosis is predominantly seen in middle-aged women. Typical symptoms are fatigue, pruritus, and abdominal pain. Jaundice develops in the endstage disease. At presentation, about 40% of the patients are asymptomatic, but 30% to 50% already have hepatomegaly, and 15% present with splenomegaly. Even patients with fully developed liver cirrhosis may be free of symptoms. Abnormal p...

The diagnosis and treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a slowly progressive cholestatic liver disease of autoimmune etiology. The initial presentation of PBC is various from asymptomatic, abnormal liver biochemical tests to overt cirrhosis. The diagnosis of PBC is based on cholestatic biochemical liver tests, presence of antimitochondrial antibody and histologic findings of nonsuppurative destructive cholangitis. ...

Asymptomatic primary biliary cirrhosis.

Primary biliary cirrhosis.

Primary biliary cirrhosis is a chronic liver disease characterised by intrahepatic bile-duct destruction, cholestasis, and, in some cases, cirrhosis. Evidence supporting the autoimmune nature of this disorder includes the appearance of highly specific antimitochondrial antibodies (AMAs) and autoreactive T cells. Concordance rates in monozygotic twins, familial prevalence, and genetic associatio...

Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC) is the result of long-standing damage to intra-hepatic biliary channels as a result of immune mechanisms leading to cholestasis and its associated complications. It can end up in chronic liver disease or cirrhosis. It usually manifests as pruritis that then proceeds to fatigue, jaundice and other features of chronic liver disease. It is detected by raised serolog...