Primary biliary cirrhosis in a patient with Turner syndrome

An increased prevalence of X chromosome monosomy has recently been demonstrated in patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). Chronic cholestasis of unknown etiology is a common clinical feature in patients with Turner syndrome who reach the fourth and fifth decades of life. A 37-year-old patient with Turner syndrome who presented with clinical and biochemical features of chronic cholestasis is described. Subsequent investigations confirmed the diagnosis of PBC. The patient did not respond to the medical treatment and was referred for liver transplant assessment. The present case may support the importance of X chromosome genes in the development of genetic predisposition to PBC, and emphasizes the necessity for a systematic study of the prevalence of PBC in patients with Turner syndrome.