1. Subtle presentation of active primary biliary cirrhosis in chronic hepatitis B: a case report
- Author
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Felicia D. Allard, Asad Javaid, Htet Htet Maung, Win Kyaw, Mugilan Poongkunran, and Daryl T.-Y. Lau
- Subjects
medicine.medical_specialty ,Case Reports ,Hepatitis B virus DNA ,Gastroenterology ,Asymptomatic ,03 medical and health sciences ,Liver disease ,cholestatic disease ,0302 clinical medicine ,Primary biliary cirrhosis ,Chronic hepatitis ,Internal medicine ,medicine ,chronic hepatitis B ,anti-mitochondrial antibodies ,business.industry ,Antiviral therapy ,medicine.disease ,primary biliary cirrhosis ,Elevated alkaline phosphatase ,030220 oncology & carcinogenesis ,Alkaline phosphatase ,030211 gastroenterology & hepatology ,medicine.symptom ,business ,alkaline phosphatase - Abstract
We are describing an interesting case of two chronic liver diseases in a 48-year-old Chinese woman. While chronic hepatitis B is a common entity in Asia, the patient was later found to have active, asymptomatic primary biliary cirrhosis due to a persistently elevated alkaline phosphatase level after optimal hepatitis B virus DNA suppression on antiviral therapy. This report emphasizes the importance of keeping a high index of suspicion for another potential liver disease process even after a patient has been successfully treated for a primary liver condition. Clinical vigilance, especially in atypical clinical presentations, can result in early accurate diagnosis and prompt treatment.
- Published
- 2016