The Presentation and Diagnosis of 100 Patients with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

TLDR

Primary biliary cirrhosis was previously diagnosed only in late icteric stages, often after laparotomies to rule out surgical jaundice, but it can now be recognized earlier without surgery. Diagnosis relies on clinical presentation, cholestatic liver‑function tests, a positive serum mitochondrial antibody, and liver biopsy findings, as applied to 100 patients at the Royal Free Hospital between 1965 and 1972. No other information.

Abstract

PRIMARY biliary cirrhosis1 , 2 (chronic nonsuppurative destructive cholangitis)3 was formerly diagnosed only in its late, icteric stage. One or more laparotomies had usually been performed to exclude surgical jaundice. Now the disease can usually be recognized earlier and without surgery. Diagnosis is based on knowledge of the clinical presentation, the cholestatic liver-function tests, the positive serum mitochondrial antibody (M) test4 5 6 and the liver biopsy appearances.3 , 7 This report describes 100 patients seen at the Royal Free Hospital between 1965 and 1972 who were diagnosed as having primary biliary cirrhosis.MethodsSerum total bilirubin, alkaline phosphatase (expressed as King-Armstrong units, normal, 4 to . . .