Involvement of peribiliary glands in primary sclerosing cholangitis: a histopathologic study

We examined the histological changes of the peribiliary glands (PBGs), a hitherto pooly recognized anatomical element around the biliary tree, in 7 cases of primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC). These glands showed proliferation, and nonspecific inflammation with lymphoplasmacytic infiltration, fibrosis, and destruction. In addition, there were cystic lesions around the bile ducts, and they were considered to reflect dilatation of the PBGs. These changes were found around the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts in the cases examined. It is of interest that changes in the PBGs tended to correlate with the inflammatory changes of the bile duct wall itself, though 2 cases showed changes in the duct walls and PBGs unrelated to their distribution along the biliary tree. These findings suggest that the PBGs are also a target structure in addition to the bile ducts themselves in PSC.