| [ Summary ] |
Clinical practice guidelines for treatment of primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) have been developed by the Intractable Hepato-Biliary Disease Study Group, which was supported by the Ministry of Health, Labour and Welfare of Japan. The American and European versions have been developed by the American Association for the Study of Liver Diseases and the European Association for the Study of the Liver, respectively. However, this Japanese version was created for doctors such as general physicians, gastroenterologists and hepatologists who treat patients with PBC in Japan. The goal was to standardize the clinical practice of PBC in Japan. The revised diagnostic criteria, a new histological grading system, judgment of clinical type related to patient prognosis, and guidelines for the administration of corticosteroid for PBC-AIH overlap syndrome, etc. have been included in this system. In addition, a great deal of clinical data may be used to help physicians understand PBC and clinical practice procedures for PBC patients. |