Autoimmune hepatitis with incidental histologic features of bile duct injury

Abstract

Bile duct changes are atypical of autoimmune hepatitis. Our aims were to assess the frequency and significance of these changes in classical disease. Liver biopsy specimens were reviewed under code from 84 patients who satisfied international scoring criteria for autoimmune hepatitis, and the findings were correlated with clinical features and outcome. Twenty patients (24%) had biliary changes, including 6 with destructive cholangitis, 4 with ductopenia, and 10 with nondestructive cholangitis. Patients with and without bile duct changes had similar laboratory findings. Diagnostic scores for autoimmune hepatitis were lower in patients with bile duct changes (16.6±0.6 vs. 19.1±0.2, P