Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Michelle Jones-Pauley, DO and Sudha Kodali
Houston Methodist Hospital

This presentation is an excerpt from the ALF 2021 Poster Competition. This competition showcases posters and a brief video created by early career investigators from across the country on six areas of educational focus: fatty liver disease, liver cancer, liver transplantation, pediatric liver disease, rare liver disease and viral hepatitis. Participants are tasked with translating complicated medical information into a poster which can be easily understood by patients or the public. Posters are reviewed by a formal panel of judges comprised of Medical Advisory Council members, Board Members and friends of ALF to select a winner in each category.

PBC is a chronic liver disease characterized by damage to the small bile ducts which over time can lead to scarring and cirrhosis. It has many symptoms including fatigue, itching, jaundice, joint pain, dry eyes and mouth and possibly xanthelasma. It is diagnosed using blood tests, imaging and liver biopsy. PBC is not curable but it is manageable using medications and ultimately liver transplant. Although it is a rare disease, PBC has many support groups in the US and worldwide.