Beneficial effect of colchicine in a case of sclerosing cholangitis.

A patient with ulcerative colitis and primary sclerosis cholangitis confirmed by liver biopsy and endoscopic retrograde cholangiography presented with severely altered liver function tests. A month of steroid treatment for the colitis symptoms had no effect on the liver function tests, and colchicine, 1 mg/day, was added. After 3 months of this combined treatment, improvement of the liver function tests was noted and progressed to complete normalization of all liver function tests at the end of a 2-year period of follow-up. On further follow-up, the patient remained asymptomatic and with normal liver function tests for an additional 3 years. Further controlled studies would be worthwhile to evaluate the possibility of treatment of primary sclerosis cholangitis with colchicine with or without steroids.