PRIMARY sclerosing cholangitis is a disease of unknown etiology characterized by diffuse inflammation of the extrahepatic biliary tract resulting in fibrosis and stenosis of the common bile duct. The recognition of this disease is comparatively recent, the first descriptions being credited to Delbet 1 and to Laf ourcade in 1924.2 The earliest report in the American literature is that of Miller3 in 1926. The relative infrequency of this condition is manifest from a review of the literature, only 20 cases being described.1-12
The subject of this case report demonstrated the surgical and radiographic characteristics of sclerosing cholangitis and is of particular interest because alcoholism was the only recognized potential cause and hepatic parenchymal changes of cholangiolytic hepatitis were also present.
Report of Case
A 34-year-old white man entered the Omaha Veterans Administration Hospital initially in June, 1963, with a chief complaint of intermittent vomiting of one week's