Vanishing bile duct syndrome
| Vanishing bile duct syndrome | |
|---|---|
| Other names | Ductopenia | 
| Specialty | Gastroenterology | 
Vanishing bile duct syndrome is a loose collection of diseases which leads to the injury to hepatic bile ducts and eventual ductopenia.[1]
Signs and symptoms
The presentation is dependent upon the underlying cause. The course can be rapid or chronic.
- Fatigue
 - Anorexia
 - Abdominal pain
 - Weight loss
 - Pruritus
 - Hyperlipidemia
 - Malabsorption
 - Fat-soluble vitamin deficiencies
 - Elevated alkaline phosphatase
 - Elevated gamma-glutamyltransferase
 - Elevated conjugated bilirubin
 
Cause
Congenital
In fetal and neonatal life the ductal plates are remodeled. The malformations can be atretic or fibrocystic.
Atretic causes
- Intrahepatic bile duct atresia (Alagille syndrome) (ALGS2 MIM:610205 and ALGS1 MIM:118450)
 - Extrahepatic bile duct atresia
 
Fibrocystic causes
- Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease
 - Congential hepatic fibrosis
 - Caroli's disease
 - Von Meyenburg complex
 
Chromosomal associations
- Trisomy 17, 18 and 21
 
Genetic associations
- Cystic fibrosis
 - Alpha 1 antitrypsin deficiency
 - Trihydroxycoprostanic acidemia
 - Byler's disease
 
Immunologic associations
Bile duct injury and loss can result from autoimmune destruction. T cells recognize biliary epithelial cell antigens causing injury and eventual atresia.
Other causes
- Primary biliary cirrhosis
 - Primary sclerosing cholangitis
 - Hodgkin's lymphoma[2]
 - Chronic graft-versus-host disease
 - Drugs(chlorpromazine)/Toxins
 - Ischemia
 
Diagnosis
Treatment
Treatment is dependent upon the underlying cause. Treatment is supportive as it is not possible to induce regrowth of lost ducts.
Medical therapies
- Ursodeoxycholic acid
 - Immunosuppression
- General consensus is that more studies are needed before this can be considered
 
 - Organ transplant
 
References
- ↑ Reau NS, Jensen DM (February 2008). "Vanishing bile duct syndrome". Clin Liver Dis. 12 (1): 203–17, x. doi:10.1016/j.cld.2007.11.007. PMID 18242505.
 - ↑ Rossini, M. S.; Lorand-Metze, I; Oliveira, G. B.; Souza, C. A. (2000). "Vanishing bile duct syndrome in Hodgkin's disease: Case report". Sao Paulo Medical Journal. 118 (5): 154–7. doi:10.1590/s1516-31802000000500008. PMID 11018850.
 
External links
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