[Autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis overlap syndrome]

REGARDING THE DEFINITION: The primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) - autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) overlap syndrome is defined by the simultaneous or consecutive association of at least two of three diagnostic criteria usually recognized in both pathologies. The prevalence of this syndrome is of the order of 8-20% of all the CBP and HAI diagnosed as such.

In most of the cases, the characteristics of these diseases are concomitant from the start at the time of diagnosis. Those are forty-years-old women's diseases. Diagnosis is based on the combination of clinical, biologic, immunologic and histological arguments. Histologically, the characteristic lesions of each of the diseases are usually combined. TREATMENT MODALITIES: The optimal treatment is not yet well codified. Ursodesoxycholic acid and immunosuppressor treatment, prescribed individually, are less effective than in the isolated PBC or AIH forms. The combination of these two drugs merits assessment.