Multicentre Survey of the Prevalence of Intrahepatic Cholestasis in 2520 Consecutive Patients with Newly Diagnosed Chronic Liver Disease

In order to establish the prevalence of intrahepatic cholestasis (IHC) in chronic liver disease, we retrospectively evaluated the frequency of increased serum total bilirubin (STB), serum conjugated bilirubin (SCB) and serum alkaline phosphatase (SAP) levels in a cohort of 2520 patients with newly diagnosed chronic liver disease presenting over 2 years. 882 patients (35%) [mean age 52.2 years] had IHC involving abnormal levels of STB (mean 89.8 μmol/L), SCB (mean 52.5 μmol/L), and SAP (mean 5.7 μkat/L) together with a negative ultrasonic scan. Demographic data were not predictive of IHC. IHC was more frequent in patients with cirrhosis (43%), primary biliary cirrhosis (54%), and primary scl…