[On the pathomorphology of primary biliary cirrhosis of the liver (author's transl)].

The diagnosis of primary biliary cirrhosis of the liver was made in 15 out of 1620 liver biopsy specimens (0.93% of all biopsies and 4.6% of the morphologically verified cirrhoses) and in 6 cases of post-mortem examination material (12.5% of the deceased from cirrhosis of the liver.) In the development of nonsuppurative destructive cholangitis 4 phases may be distinguished: dystrophia, necrosis and necrobiosis, destruction of the wall of the bile ductules and organisation. Periductular granulomas may form during the phases 3 and 4. The presence of morphologic signs of stages I and II on the background of distinct cirrhosis argues in favour of progression of the process. The contents of protein-copper-complex which may be exhibited by its reaction with orcein, increases during the late stages of primary biliary cirrhosis. Morphometric investigation gives not only a quantitative characteristic of the alterations of the liver in primary biliary cirrhosis--important for the assessment of the dynamics of the process and the functional morphologic alterations--but also favours differential diagnostics.