title: Presentation and diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis in the 21st century.
abstract: Primary biliary cirrhosis is a slowly progressive, cholestatic, and chronic liver disease in which the epithelium of the intrahepatic biliary tree is destroyed by a chronic inflammatory process. The origin of this disease, which mainly affects middle-aged women, is unknown but has characteristics favoring an autoimmune etiology. This article reviews the presentation and diagnosis of PBC in the 21st century.
authors.affiliation: Gastroenterology, Toronto Western Hospital (University Health Network/University of Toronto), 399 Bathurst Street, Toronto, Ontario M5T2S8, Canada. tkumagi@uhnres.utoronto.ca <tkumagi@uhnres.utoronto.ca>
authors.forename: Teru
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kumagi
authors.forename: Morikazu
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Onji
mesh_terms: D003952:Diagnostic Imaging; D005221:Fatigue / Q000209:etiology; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008105:Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000378:metabolism; D008297:Male; D010024:Osteoporosis / Q000209:etiology; D011537:Pruritus / Q000209:etiology; D012737:Sex Factors