Guidelines of the Czech Society of Hepatology for diagnosis and treatment of primary biliary cholangitis

Abstract

Primary biliary cholangitis is a chronic cholestatic disease that is diagnosed based on cholestatic laboratory features, antimitochondrial antibody positivity, or a typical histological pattern. Most patients are asymptomatic at the time of diagnosis.

Pruritus and fatigue are the most common symptoms in symptomatic patients. Ursodeoxycholic acid is the first-line therapy.

If this fails, the prognosis is unfavorable and second-line therapy can be considered. The associated symptoms must be treated.

In advanced disease, liver transplantation should be considered and the complication of portal hypertension must be treated.

Keywords

• diagnosis
• treatment
• primary biliary cholangitis