Adenopathies: A Confusing Presentation of Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) is an autoimmune disease in which the intrahepatic bile ducts are destroyed. Its symptoms include chronic fatigue, pruritus, steatorrhea, and jaundice, with variable clinical course. We are introducing a case of a 65-year-old woman with anorexia, weight loss, asthenia, and pruritus. The imaging studies revealed dilatation of the intrahepatic and common bile ducts and adenopathies at the level of the hepatoduodenal ligament, histologically compatible with reactive lymphadenitis. After the exclusion of neoplasia, she was referred to Internal Medicine where positivity was obtained for anti-mitochondrial autoantibodies suggestive of PBC. After the initiation of therapy, there was a resolution of the clinical symptoms and the adenopathies were no longer detected in subsequent studies. The authors intend to highlight this case, especially due to the presence of adenopathies and constitutional symptoms where PBC should also be considered, as a differential diagnosis.