Intrahepatic cholestasis and biliary cirrhosis associated with extrahepatic Hodgkin's disease.

ABSTRACT

A 29-year-old male with supraclavicular Hodgkin's disease (Stage IA) developed intrahepatic cholestasis. Cholestasis with severe pruritus persisted while the Hodgkin's disease was brought into remission by radiotherapy. During ursodeoxycholic acid treatment jaundice and hypercholesterolaemia decreased and pruritus disappeared. However, 2 years after diagnosis the patient died of variceal haemorrhage. On autopsy no recurrence of Hodgkin's disease was found. The liver showed advanced biliary cirrhosis. Intrahepatic cholestasis in this patient persisted as a paraneoplastic phenomenon despite complete remission of Hodgkin's disease.