[Primary biliary liver cirrhosis in patients treated at Szczecin hospitals in 1978-1988]. / Pierwotna marskosc watroby w materiale szpitali szczecinskich w latach 1978-1988.

In the last decade, the primary, biliary liver cirrhosis was diagnosed in 17 female patients aged between 33 and 72 years. The most frequent complaint were itching and jaundice. Hepatomegaly and itching predominated in the clinical signs Laboratory tests have shown and increase in alkaline phosphatase activity, gamma-glutamyltranspeptidase, and alanine-aminotransferase activities, accelerated ESR and decrease in blood serum albumins. Immunological abnormalities were found in 15 patients, including 12 with antimitochondrial antibodies. Liver biopsy was carried out in all patients enabling to diagnose the primary cirrhosis in 14 of them. Duration of the disease was between 1 and 9 years. Immunosuppressive treatment was carried out in 10 patients, and symptomatic treatment in the remaining 7 patients. No difference in the effect of therapy on actual health state of patients was seen.