Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume 71, Issue 1 , Pages 45-48, January 2008

Cholestatic Jaundice as the Predominant Presentation in a Patient with Autoimmune Hepatitis

  • Chia-Pei Tang

      Affiliations

    • Division of Gastroenterology, Buddhist Dalin Tzu Chi General Hospital, Chiayi; Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Yih-Tsong Shiau

      Affiliations

    • Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital; Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Yi-Hsiang Huang

      Affiliations

    • Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital; Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Institute of Clinical Medicine and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Corresponding Author InformationCorrespondence to: Dr Yi-Hsiang Huang, Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, 201, Section 2, Shih-Pai Road, Taipei 112, Taiwan, R.O.C
    • ,
  • Shih-Haw Tsay

      Affiliations

    • Department of Pathology, and Taipei Veterans General Hospital; Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Teh-Ia Huo

      Affiliations

    • Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital; Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Jaw-Ching Wu

      Affiliations

    • Department of Medical Research and Education, Taipei Veterans General Hospital; Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Institute of Clinical Medicine and National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Han-Chieh Lin

      Affiliations

    • Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital; Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • ,
  • Shou-Dong Lee

      Affiliations

    • Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Medicine, Taipei Veterans General Hospital; Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.
    • Faculty of Medicine, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, R.O.C.

Received 13 February 2007; accepted 31 October 2007.

Article Outline

Autoimmune hepatitis is a heterogeneous liver disease of unknown etiology. It is predominant in females and characterized by elevation of transaminase, hypergammaglobulinemia and circulating autoantibodies. Interface hepatitis and plasma cell infiltration are the main findings on liver biopsy. However, deep cholestatic jaundice is rarely seen. We present here an unusual case of type 1 autoimmune hepatitis with hyperbilirubinemia as the initial and predominant presentation. Although rare, autoimmune hepatitis should be considered in patients with cholestasis without history of drug or viral hepatitis.

Key Words:  autoantibody , autoimmune hepatitis , jaundice

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References 

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PII: S1726-4901(08)70072-8

doi:10.1016/S1726-4901(08)70072-8

Journal of the Chinese Medical Association
Volume 71, Issue 1 , Pages 45-48, January 2008

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