[Relative increase and metacritic aggravation in the diagnosis of anicteric cholestasis]

The authors report 3 cases and report the diagnostic usefulness of two signs of minor cholestasis described by one of them in 1966. A relative increase, in the absence of obvious virus hepatitis or cirrhosis, of the serum bilirubin, cholesterol, lipids and alkaline phosphatase, together with B.S.P. excretion. suggest minor cholestasis. The sign of "metacritical aggravation" when there is some suspicion of minor cholestasis, the supervision of the course of the disease, or a retrospective inquiry, permit, in the presence of minor symptoms, such as, pain, fever, jaundice, or pruritus, one to make the diagnosis of minor cholestasis. The latter is due either to the presence of small gall stones in the common bile duct, or to inflammation of the ampulla of Vater, or sphincter of Oddi, a Vaterian ampulloma, pancreatitis, or following damage to the common bile duct. In practice, liver biopsy confirms the diagnosis, and intravenous cholangiography, by the perfusion method, is usually able to demonstrate obstruction of the common bile duct.