Q: Which doctors treat biliary cirrhosis?
A: Specialists like hepatologists or gastroenterologists treat biliary cirrhosis.
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Q: How does primary biliary cirrhosis differ from primary sclerosing cholangitis?
A: Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is an autoimmune disease usually affecting females whereas primary sclerosing cholangitis usually affects males and the cause is not known. Anti-mitrochondrial antibodies are present in most cases of PBC, which are not seen in sclerosing cholangitis.
Q: Does alcohol cause biliary cirrhosis?
A: No. Though alcohol is among the most common causes of cirrhosis, biliary cirrhosis is caused as a result of an autoimmune reaction (as in the case of PBC) or due to prolonged obstruction of the bile ducts arising from the liver (as in secondary biliary cirrhosis).
