[Primary biliary cirrhosis]

Chronic non-suppurative destructive cholangitis, the so-called primary biliary cirrhosis, is characterised by changes, which occur in intrahepatic bile ducts in early stages and in hepatic parenchyma as the disease progresses. The disease gradually evolves into the full-blown picture of biliary cirrhosis. Primary biliary cirrhosis predominantly affects women between 35 and 60 years of age in all social classes and in all races. Our patient was a woman, old 78 years old who admitted for treatment of hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. During the routine laboratory exploration, signs of cholestasis were noted: higher values of alkaline phosphatase and gamma glutamyl transferase, combined with low level of platelets, probably of autoimmune origin. Hypercholesterolaemia (7.8 mmol/L) associated with normal values of triglycerides was observed. The main criterion for establishing the diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis was the titer of antimitochondrial antibodies in the serum, which was 1:640. At the same time, she had a urinary infection, caused by Escherichia coli, which confirmed possible relationship between primary biliary cirrhosis and occurrence of some Gramm negative bacteria, reported elsewhere. On the other hand, biopsy of the liver was just an auxiliary method, serving for the confirmation of diagnosis. Ursodeoxycholic acid was used as the main drug in the therapy of primary biliary cirrhosis. This case of primary biliary cirrhosis is a worth report because of the comorbidity with cardiac symptoms, which were covering symptoms of hepatic disorder.