Primary sclerosing cholangitis and Hodgkin's disease

Abstract

Three patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis and Hodgkin's disease, a previously unrecognized association, are reported. All three patients were men, and one patient had Crohn's disease of the colon. Primary sclerosing cholangitis was diagnosed 2, 11 and 17 yr before diagnosis of Hodgkin's disease in the three patients, and all three had advanced biliary cirrhosis prompting referral for liver transplantation. The symptoms of Hodgkin's disease were often masked by similar manifestations of primary sclerosing cholangitis, particularly symptoms of recurrent biliary sepsis. Hodgkin's disease is another disorder that may occur in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis, particularly in the setting of advanced disease, and may be masked by the underlying hepatobiliary disease.