[Follow-up of benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis (Summerskill-Walshe-Tygstrup syndrome) over 46 years]

Abstract

Benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis (BRIC or Summerskill-Walshe-Tygstrup-syndrome) is a rare autosomal recessive form of liver disease, which usually becomes manifest in childhood. Characteristic are recurrent episodes of jaundice and itching of different duration. Number and duration of episodic attack and asymptomatic period develop individually. For diagnosis of BRIC following criteria are proposed: At least three episodes of severe jaundice and pruritus with biochemical evidence of cholestasis, normal intra-and extrahepatic bile ducts on cholangiography, absence of a factor known to produce intrahepatic cholestasis and symptom-free intervals of several months or years. Often the diagnosis of BRIC is made very late and patients have to suffer invasive investigations (explorative laparotomy). Because of the unknown pathophysiological mechanism there is no specific treatment. We report on a 53-year-old patient with jaundice, severe pruritus, vomiting, loss of hair and weight, extreme sleeplessness and intractable cough. At the onset of the attack an increase of serum bilirubin concentration and serum alkaline phosphatase was observed, whereas aspartate and alanine aminotransferase and gamma-glutamyltransferase were normal. Histological findings of liver biopsy revealed accumulation of bile plugs in bile canaliculi. The long-term follow-up of our patient confirms that the prognosis is good.