[Hepatobiliary diseases in Crohn disease and ulcerative colitis].

Hepatobiliary diseases are certainly not very frequent extraintestinal complications of chronic intestinal inflammatory diseases, however, they are an important prognostic factor. 2% of patients with ulcerative colitis develop liver cirrhosis but 10% of those die as a direct result of liver failure. Other associated severe hepatobiliary diseases include primary sclerosing cholangitis, carcinoma of the bile duct and amyloidosis. The present review attempts to divide the associated hepatobiliary diseases into three groups. 1. those that are the result of therapy. 2. those that are the result of the pathophysiological mechanisms of the underlying disease and 3. those of unknown etiological origin. This division might serve not only for a better understanding of the various mechanisms but should have some impact on therapeutic regimens.