A Case of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis Mimicking Acute Hepatitis B in the Clinic, Republic of Korea

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a slowly progressive cholestatic autoimmune liver disease characterized by progressive bile duct injury. The most common symptoms of this disease include fatigue and pruritus. The diagnosis of PBC is based on cholestatic biochemical liver tests, presence of antimitochondrial antibodies, and characteristic histological biopsy findings. We report a case of a patient with PBS, who was initially suspected to be in the window period of hepatitis B by a private doctor in a local clinic based on the detection of isolated immunoglobulin M antibody against hepatitis B core antigen. The presence of this antibody is the most useful index in diagnosing acute hepatitis B (+) by immunoserological test. The final diagnosis of the patient in Good Gang-An Hospital was PBC through additional tests. The patient is receiving outpatient treatment.