Cutaneous lesions as presenting symptoms of primary biliary cirrhosis: an undifferentiated connective tissue disease-like onset.
We describe two patients with primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) who presented with specific symptoms mimicking an undifferentiated connective tissue disease (arthromyalgia, fatigue, cutaneous lesions either morbillous-like or urticarial, the latter with an eosinophil infiltrate of upper dermis). Subsequent detection firstly of eosinophilia in the blood and secondarily of antimitochondrial antibodies with results of liver biopsy allowed a diagnosis of asymptomatic PBC. In our cases, a peculiar sign of early stage of PBC was represented also by the eosinophilia in the liver.
Covelli
Michele
M
Department of Rheumatology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. m.covelli@reumbari.uniba.it
Favia
Ivana
I
Marrone
Mariapia
M
Iannone
Florenzo
F
Gentile
Antonia
A
Lastilla
Gaetano
G
Lapadula
Giovanni
G
D001323:Autoantibodies / Q000032:analysis; D001706:Biopsy; D003240:Connective Tissue Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis*; D003937:Diagnosis, Differential; D004802:Eosinophilia / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008099:Liver / Q000276:immunology / Q000473:pathology; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000473:pathology; D008875:Middle Aged; D008930:Mitochondria, Liver / Q000276:immunology; D012871:Skin Diseases / Q000209:etiology*; D014581:Urticaria / Q000209:etiology
D001323:Autoantibodies