Primary intrahepatic obliterating cholangitis: a possible variant of 'sclerosing cholangitis'.

Abstract

A sclerosing cholangitis confined to the intrahepatic ducts occurred in a 64-year-old man with a clinical picture of prolonged cholestatic jaundice. Two laparotomies and an operative cholangiogram demonstrated a normal extrahepatic biliary tree. The most prominent histological feature in the liver biopsy was the replacement of medium-sized bile ducts by fibrous cords. Electron microscopic examination of the liver showed changes attributable to cholestasis and cholesterol clefts in dense bodies. Needle-like and curved membrane-bounded inclusions of an obscure nature were also observed in some of the dense bodies. It is suggested that this case, together with nine histologically similar cases ..