Hepatobiliary dysfunction and primary sclerosing cholangitis in patients with Crohn's disease.

BACKGROUND

Only a few studies have attempted to determined the prevalence of long-standing abnormal liver function and primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) in patients with Crohn's disease (CD). The aim of the study was to determine the prevalence of long-standing abnormal liver function test results and to describe the clinical, biochemical, and histologic findings in patients with large-duct classic PSC and small-duct PSC (that is, normal cholangiogram) in patients with CD during a 15-year period.

METHODS

Patients with CD and long-standing abnormal liver function results were investigated individually with endoscopic retrograde cholangiography and liver biopsy.

RESULTS

Of 262 consecutive patients with CD, 38 (15%) had long-standing increased alkaline phosphatase (ALP) values (mean, 1065 U/l; range, 321-4165 U/l). Of these, 10 patients were classified as having hepatic disease (4%), of which 9 had PSC and 1 had a non-specific reactive hepatitis. Of nine patients with PSC (3.4%), three were classified as having large-duct PSC; five, small-duct PSC; and one, unclassified. In patients with large-bowel CD (n = 102) the prevalence of PSC was 9%. Mean age at diagnosis of PSC was 35 years (22-46 years), and the female to male ratio, 7:2. All PSC patients had large-bowel involvement (P < 0.00015), and two of them developed colonic carcinoma of the large bowel (P < 0.01). All cases of small-duct PSC were stage 1, whereas large-duct PSC were stage 2-3. During the observation period (mean, 5.4 years) no PSC patients died.

CONCLUSIONS

The results of our study indicate that PSC is the major hepatic disease in patients with CD and long-standing abnormal liver function tests and is approximately as prevalent as in ulcerative colitis. Patients with PSC and CD may have a milder liver disease than patients with PSC and ulcerative colitis, perhaps because large-duct PSC is less common in patients with CD. Cholangiograms and liver biopsies are both needed to evaluate the extent of the disease.