Case Report

Microscopic Polyangiitis Associated with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

FLORENZO IANNONE, PAOLA FALAPPONE, GIOVANNI PANNARALE, ANTONIETTA GENTILE, VITO GRATTAGLIANO, MICHELE COVELLI, and GIOVANNI LAPADULA

ABSTRACT.

We describe a patient with microscopic polyangiitis and primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) who presented with a non-erosive polyarthritis followed by pulmonary and renal involvement and signs of liver disorder. Detection of pANCA and antimitochondrial antibodies with results of renal and liver biopsies allowed a diagnosis of microscopic polyangiitis and PBC. To our knowledge, this is the first report of an association between the 2 diseases. (J Rheumatol 2003;30:2710-2)

Key Indexing Terms:

VASCULITIS
GLOMERULONEPHRITIS
BILIARY CIRRHOSIS

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From the Departments of Rheumatology, Nephrology, and Pathology, University of Bari, Bari, Italy.

F. Iannone, MD, PhD, Consultant in Rheumatology; F. Paola, MD, Research Assistant in Rheumatology; P. Giovanni, MD, Consultant in Nephrology; G. Antonietta, MD, Research Assistant in Pathology; G. Vito, MD, Consultant in Rheumatology; M. Covelli, MD, Senior Lecturer in Rheumatology; G. Lapadula, MD, Professor of Rheumatology.

Address reprint requests to Prof. G. Lapadula, Cattedra di Reumatologia, Piazza G. Cesare 11, 70124 Policlinico, Bari, Italy. E-mail: g.lapadula@reumbari.uniba.it

Submitted September 16, 2002; revision accepted April 24, 2003.

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