Positive Tissue Antibody Tests in Patients with Prolonged Extrahepatic Biliary Obstruction

Abstract

THE high proportion of antimitochondrial antibodies in primary biliary cirrhosis1 2 3 and the low rate in extrahepatic biliary obstruction3 4 5 have been considered crucial in differentiating these disorders. In many centers a positive reaction is accepted as being diagnostic of primary biliary cirrhosis, obviating the need for exploratory laparotomy. Tissue antibodies are in fact of little value in cases of acute extrahepatic biliary obstruction, since the diagnosis can be made from clinical manifestations. On the other hand, clinical features and liver-biopsy findings in chronic extrahepatic biliary obstruction may be indistinguishable from those found in primary biliary cirrhosis.6 Since considerable emphasis has been . . .