title: Cutaneous lesions as presenting symptoms of primary biliary cirrhosis: an undifferentiated connective tissue disease-like onset.
abstract: 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.
authors.affiliation: Department of Rheumatology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy. m.covelli@reumbari.uniba.it
authors.forename: Michele
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Covelli
authors.forename: Ivana
authors.initials: I
authors.lastname: Favia
authors.forename: Mariapia
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Marrone
authors.forename: Florenzo
authors.initials: F
authors.lastname: Iannone
authors.forename: Antonia
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Gentile
authors.forename: Gaetano
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lastilla
authors.forename: Giovanni
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Lapadula
mesh_terms: 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
chemical_list: D001323:Autoantibodies