Natural history of primary sclerosing cholangitis and prognostic value of cholangiography in a Dutch population

Background: Median survival of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) has been estimated to be 12 years. Cholangiography is the gold standard for diagnosis but is rarely used in estimating prognosis. Aims: To assess the natural history of Dutch PSC patients and to evaluate the prognostic value of a cholangiographic classification system. Patients: A total of 174 patients with established PSC attending a university hospital and three teaching hospitals from 1970 to 1999. Methods: Charts were reviewed for validity and time of diagnosis, concurrent inflammatory bowel disease, interven... Mehr ...