Sclerosing cholangitis with hepatic microvesicular steatosis in cystic fibrosis and chronic pancreatitis.

University Department of Gastroenterology, Royal Infirmary, Manchester.

The association between asymptomatic primary sclerosing cholangitis and exocrine pancreatic disease was underlined by the findings in a patient with cystic fibrosis and in another with chronic pancreatitis. In each case hepatocytes showed extensive microvesicular steatosis and studies of drug metabolism suggested hepatic enzyme induction: biliary or serum analysis, or both, disclosed raised concentrations of a lipid-based marker of free radical oxidation. These findings suggest that toxic metabolites of oxygen or other chemicals may have a role in the pathogenesis of the bile duct lesion.

PMID: 2732340 [PubMed - indexed for MEDLINE]

PMCID: PMC1141950