On the Concurrence of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and Intestinal Villous Atrophy

Five out of 26 consecutive patients with primary biliary cirrhosis had intestinal villous atrophy. These patients showed many features that are not characteristic of primary biliary cirrhosis, such as a preponderance of men and high prevalence of HLA-B8, piecemeal necroses, and smooth-muscle antibodies. No improvement of the liver disease was apparent after 6-22 months on a gluten-free diet.