[Adult idiopathic ductopenia. 1 case]

Gastroenterol Clin Biol. 1998 Feb;22(2):227-31.
[Article in French]

Abstract

Idiopathic adult ductopenia is very rare. We report one case in a 30-year-old man, whose clinical course was characterized by jaundice and pruritus. Laboratory investigations revealed cholestasis and polyclonal hypergammaglobulinemia. Serum antinuclear, antimitochondrial, and anti-smooth muscle antibodies and serological markers for viral hepatitis were negative. Endoscopic retrograde cholangiography showed no liver or biliary tract abnormalities. Histological examination of a liver specimen showed a vanishing bile duct syndrome and moderate portal infiltration with lympho-histiocytic cells; there were no granulomas. Liver transplantation was performed due to rapid development of cirrhosis. The differential diagnosis of idiopathic adult ductopenia with small duct primary sclerosing cholangitis, auto-immune cholangiopathy, and non syndromic paucity of intrahepatic bile ducts is unclear.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • English Abstract
  • Review

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Bile Duct Diseases / complications
  • Bile Duct Diseases / diagnosis*
  • Bile Duct Diseases / pathology
  • Bile Ducts, Intrahepatic* / pathology
  • Histiocytes / pathology
  • Humans
  • Liver Cirrhosis / etiology
  • Liver Cirrhosis / surgery
  • Liver Transplantation
  • Lymphocytes / pathology
  • Male