Imaging of autoimmune biliary disease

Abstract

Autoimmune biliary diseases are poorly understood but important to recognize. Initially, autoimmune biliary diseases are asymptomatic but may lead to progressive cholestasis with associated ductopenia, portal hypertension, cirrhosis, and eventually liver failure. The three main forms of autoimmune biliary disease are primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and IgG4-associated cholangitis. Although some overlap may occur between the three main autoimmune diseases of the bile ducts, each disease typically affects a distinct demographic group and requires a disease-specific diagnostic workup. For all the autoimmune biliary diseases, imaging provides a means to monitor disease progression, assess for complications, and screen for the development of hepatobiliary malignancies that are known to affect patients with these diseases. Imaging is also useful to suggest or corroborate the diagnosis of primary sclerosing cholangitis and IgG4-associated cholangitis. We review the current literature and emphasize radiological findings and considerations for these autoimmune diseases of the bile ducts.