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Previous Volume 336:719-721 March 6, 1997 Number 10 Next

	Since this article has no abstract, we have provided an extract of the first 100 words of the full text and any section headings.

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Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a chronic, progressive cholestatic liver disease characterized by continuing inflammation, necrosis, and obliteration of intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts.¹ The pathognomonic finding on liver biopsy, albeit rarely seen, is the onionskin lesion, consisting of concentric rings of dense connective tissue that surround a necrotic, often totally obliterated bile duct.² These lesions cause bile-duct strictures, the cholangiographic finding required for the diagnosis.³ The bile ducts are often dilated above the strictures, indicating chronic obstruction of bile flow. Alternating strictures and dilatations give affected bile ducts the beaded appearance that is characteristic of the disease. About two thirds . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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This article has been cited by other articles:

• Schramm, C., Schirmacher, P., Helmreich-Becker, I., Gerken, G., Meyer zum Buschenfelde, K. H., Lohse, A. W. (1999). Combined Therapy with Azathioprine, Prednisolone, and Ursodiol in Patients with Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: A Case Series. ANN INTERN MED 131: 943-946 [Abstract] [Full Text]