Arthritis in patients with antimitochondrial antibodies

We describe the clinical and radiographic findings in 15 women with antimitochondrial antibodies (AMA) without clinical liver disease. Arthralgias appeared in their third or fourth decade and typically involved the small joints of the hands with periarticular swelling and cortical erosions. Few hand nodes, deformation, or sclerodactyly. Four had histologic primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC). The association between arthritis and PBC is discussed. The arthritis and PBC may be two manifestations of some general underlying disease process, AMA being a marker. Patients with atypical arthralgias affecting the hands should have the AMA test performed in view of the possibility that this affection might accompany or progress to PBC.