Guest guest Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 There are four stages, with 4 being healthy and 1 being really sick. Most people do not fall neatly within one stage. And many doctors believe that staging doesn't really offer information that is predictive of anything. The Child-Pugh or Mayo scores seem more useful. But, of course, MELD is the one that really matters. http://www.unos.org/resources/MeldPeldCalculator.asp?index=98 And my personal opinion is how you feel today is all that's important. Pam (mom to Quantell, 13, dx 1995, tx 2001) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 5, 2004 Report Share Posted February 5, 2004 posted a portion of a paper by Angulo and Lindor on Jan 5 at: http://health.groups.yahoo.com/group//message/59434 it lists the 4 stages and describes other diagnostic characteristics of PSC. Aubrey added some comments in message 59453 the next day. The archives at the site have a great deal of information (and if you have a message number it is very easy to get around.) I believe that your mild fibrosis puts you in Stage 2. Tim R > Hi everyone, > I have a question about the staging of PSC My doctor did not > tell me what stage I am in. I have no symptoms. How many are there > and what do they mean? My Liver Biopsy showed mild portal fibrosis. > On my ERCP they saw beading but did not have to do anything. Thanks, > Chris Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 7, 2004 Report Share Posted February 7, 2004 Staging is an assessment of the disease process, based on imaging studies, and more importantly, examination of liver tissue recovered in a biopsy. I wouldn’t expect your GI or Hepatologist to refer to disease stages except in general terms, unless they were looking at a Pathologist’s report of biopsy. Even then, the classifications amount to a best-guess, and can have little correlation with quality of life. Here’s how s Hopkins explains it: Liver Biopsy Liver biopsy is used for confirmation and staging of primary sclerosing cholangitis (Figure 9). The pathognomonic lesion, which is the onionskin lesion, is rarely seen. On liver biopsy there are four stages of primary sclerosing cholangitis that have been identified: Stage 1 Infiltration of the bile duct by lymphocytes with degeneration of the epithelial cells of the bile duct. These findings are not present outside the portal triads. Stage 2 There is more widespread involvement with fibrosis, inflammation infiltration in the periportal parenchyma with piecemeal necrosis of the periportal hepatocytes. The portal triads are enlarged but there is relative absence of bile ducts (bile ductopenia). Stage 3 There are portal-to-portal fibrous bridges with severe degeneration of the ducts and ductopenia. Stage 4 End stage liver disease with frank cirrhosis. Steve Rahn PSC '80, L Tx 9/6 & 9/8 '85. (Wash. U-STL) Recurrent PSC '02, (re) Born on the 4th of July, 2003 (U of Iowa) www.presumedconsent.org " Solve the Problem, not the Solution " Dean Kamen Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest guest Posted February 7, 2004 Report Share Posted February 7, 2004 Just my two cents... After my liver biopsy, which I had with a GI doctor to hopefully figure out what was wrong with me (he didn't know what he was looking at, and said I didn't have PSC, at least until I was hospitalized with septicemia and my current hep doctor saw the biopsy and recognized it.) The hepatologist said I was stage 1, but never went any further, and I have never asked again if I have progressed in stages or not. To be honest, I really don't want to know! Good luck Janie Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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