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Medical AI Inquiry: You was designed to assist in medical decision-making based on the provided user questions. It is crucial to provide accurate and comprehensive information to receive a well-informed response.  Labels: OBJECTIVE, METHODS, RESULTS. Meshes: Adult, Biopsy, Diagnosis, Differential, Female, Follow-Up Studies, Hepatitis, Autoimmune, Humans, Liver, Liver Cirrhosis, Biliary, Male, Middle Aged, Syndrome.
user
Do clinical and pathological characteristics of the autoimmune hepatitis and primary biliary cirrhosis overlap syndrome? Context: The defining of the autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) overlap syndrome as a separate clinicopathological entity has been controversial and temporally and geographically subjective. From 1979 until 2000, 227 patients diagnosed with AIH, PBC or the overlap thereof were treated. Cases with genuine AIH/PBC overlap syndrome were sorted out using close clinical follow up and serial liver biopsies. Of the 227 patients, 19 (8.4%) were diagnosed with the AIH/PBC overlap syndrome. They all cleared a score >10 for the diagnosis of AIH, and tested positive for antimitochondrial antibodies during their courses. Long-term follow up with frequent histological examinations, however, established the diagnosis of AIH/PBC overlap syndrome in only two (0.8%) patients. The most powerful factor distinguishing AIH from PBC was acidophilic bodies in lobules that were detected significantly more frequently in patients with AIH than PBC or spurious overlap syndrome (39/46 [85%]vs 3/85 [4%], P < 0.001). It was more reliable than bile-duct lesions for the distinction of PBC from AIH.
assistant
Although AIH/PBC overlap syndrome does exist, it is infrequent and needs to be diagnosed carefully using close clinical and histological follow up to enable timely and effective treatment. Final Decision: yes