Varices in Early Histological Stage Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Abstract

Esophageal varices (EV) in early histological stages of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) have been recognized but not well defined. We sought to determine the prevalence, clinical characteristics, and predictors of EV in early-stage PBC, as well as to evaluate the effectiveness of recent guidelines regarding EV screening in PBC patients. We retrospectively reviewed the charts of 325 PBC patients who had undergone complete evaluation before enrollment into 2 large clinical trials at the Mayo Clinic. © 2011 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins, Inc.