Autoimmune sclerosing cholangitis is an overlap syndrome characterized by features of both autoimmune hepatitis and primary sclerosing cholangitis, the latter usually involving the large bile ducts. Autoimmune sclerosing cholangitis occurs more often in children than in adults and is frequently associated with inflammatory bowel disease, predominantly ulcerative colitis. We report a unique case...

INTRODUCTION The changing antimicrobial sensitivity pattern of causative organisms poses a therapeutic challenge in treating patients with acute cholangitis. We therefore evaluated the microbial profile and sensitivity pattern to antibiotics in patients with acute bacterial cholangitis. METHODS Data of patients above 18 years of age with acute bacterial cholangitis seen between January 2004 a...

BACKGROUND Biliary decompression with endoscopic sphincterotomy (EPT) is beneficial in patients with biliary obstruction due to common bile duct (CBD) stones. However, it is not known whether EPT with decompression of the bile duct is beneficial in patients with acute cholangitis and gall bladder stones but without evidence of CBD stones. AIM A randomised controlled study to assess the effect...

Primary sclerosing cholangitis is the classic hepatobiliary manifestation of inflammatory bowel disease and is generally chronic and progressive. Patients frequently present with asymptomatic, anicteric cholestasis, but many develop progressive biliary strictures with time, leading to recurrent cholangitis, biliary cirrhosis, and end-stage liver disease. Medical treatment does not slow the prog...

INTRODUCTION Although myasthenia gravis is frequently associated with other disorders, it has not been reported together with primary sclerosing cholangitis, complicating the administration of liver-toxic immunosuppressive therapy. CASE PRESENTATION A 73-year-old Caucasian woman with a history of arterial hypertension, thyroid dysfunction, glaucoma, right-sided ptosis and later generalized we...

BACKGROUND Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a rare chronic cholestatic condition of unknown etiology, frequently associated with inflammatory bowel disease and characterized by diffuse fibrosing and inflammatory destruction of the intra- and/or extrahepatic biliary duct system. PATIENTS AND METHODS The study involved 14 children with primary sclerosing cholangitis confirmed by either liver b...

BACKGROUND and aims: Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a Th1 cytokine driven disease with a poor clinical responsiveness to glucocorticoid therapy. We have previously documented elevated circulating glucocorticoid levels in cholestatic rats and in addition have noted increased hepatic expression of the Th1 cytokine interferon gamma (IFN-gamma) in a rat model of cholangitis. Therefore, we examin...

CONTEXT Autoimmune pancreatitis and sclerosing cholangitis associated with autoimmune pancreatitis respond well to steroid therapy. Some criteria used for the differential diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis and sclerosing cholangitis with autoimmune pancreatitis include the response to a steroid trial. CASE REPORT A 68-year-old woman was diagnosed as having type 3 sclerosing cholangitis wit...