PRIMARY BILIARY-CIRRHOSIS AND GASTRIC CARCINOID - A RARE ASSOCIATION

Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is frequently associated with other au toimmune disorders. Although antibodies against gastric parietal cells are found in nearly all PBC patients, autoimmune gastritis is only ve ry rarely associated. We describe a woman with PBC in whom chronic aut oimmune gastritis complicated by a large pedunculated gastric carcinoi d tumor was found. Additionally, the patient had autoimmune thyroiditi s. This was interpreted as the rare association of PBC with Schmidt's syndrome type ill. The carcinoid tumor was removed endoscopically. We conclude from this case that an endoscopic screening for autoimmune ga stritis should at least be performed in patients with PBC and autoimmu ne thyroiditis, keeping in mind the possible occurrence of a polyendoc rinopathy and the potentially serious complication of a gastric carcin oid tumor.