Signs and Symptoms
Individuals with PBC may present with the following:
- Fatigue
- Pruritus (itchy skin)
- Jaundice (yellowing of the eyes and skin), due to increased bilirubin in the blood.
- Xanthoma (local collections of cholesterol in the skin, especially around the eyes (xanthelasma))
- Complications of cirrhosis and portal hypertension:
- Fluid retention in the abdomen (ascites)
- Hypersplenism
- Esophageal varices
- Hepatic encephalopathy, including coma in extreme cases.
- Association with an extrahepatic autoimmune disorder such as rheumatoid arthritis or Sjögren's syndrome (in up to 80% of cases).
Read more about this topic: Primary Biliary Cirrhosis
Famous quotes containing the words signs and/or symptoms:
“Wherever I look, I see signs of the commandment to honor one’s parents and nowhere of a commandment that calls for the respect of a child.”
—Alice Miller (20th century)
“A certain kind of rich man afflicted with the symptoms of moral dandyism sooner or later comes to the conclusion that it isn’t enough merely to make money. He feels obliged to hold views, to espouse causes and elect Presidents, to explain to a trembling world how and why the world went wrong. The spectacle is nearly always comic.”
—Lewis H. Lapham (b. 1935)