Gut
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Case Reports
Benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis: studies of bilirubin kinetics, bile acids, and cholangiography.
Three patients with benign recurrent intrahepatic cholestasis are described. They had had between five and 16 attacks of cholestasis. Between attacks the liver function tests, including serum bile acids, were normal. ⋯ During the cholestasis, the 45 minute retention (25%) and the fractional extraction coefficient (Ke=0.069 min-1) were markedly abnormal. The hepatic clearance of unconjugated radiobilirubin was normal at all times in this patient, although during cholestasis, conjugated bilirubin reflexed from the liver to the plasma and was then cleared slowly with a half life of approximately 12 hours. Treatment with corticosteroids, cholestyramine, and phenobarbitone was unsatisfactory.