OBJECTIVES: @entity775 ( @entity775 ) is widely believed to be a disease of young @entity1 and menopause. Little is known about the frequency and clinical characteristics in @entity1 aged > or =65 yr. METHODS: We reviewed charts of 120 consecutive outpatients with known @entity775 to identify @entity1 who were diagnosed at the age of 65 or older. These 20 @entity1 (median age, 69 yr) were compared to the same number of younger @entity1 (median age, 24 yr) with well-documented @entity775 from the same cohort. RESULTS: Seventeen percent (20/120) of our @entity1 were > or =65 yr at the time of diagnosis. In the older @entity1 median time to diagnosis was significantly longer than in the younger @entity1 (8.5 vs 3.5 months). @entity1 most commonly presented with an acute @entity99 . Complete remission was achieved to a similar extent (18/20 and 17/20 @entity1 ). Fewer older @entity1 expressed human leukocyte antigen A1-B8 (p = 0.005). CONCLUSIONS: Diagnosis of @entity775 often seems to be delayed in the elderly, presumably because @entity775 is erroneously considered to be a disease of young age. Presentation with acute @entity99 is similar to that of younger @entity1 , supporting the assumption that beneficial effects of hormonal changes associated with menopause are not as pronounced in @entity775 as in other @entity792 . Human leukocyte antigen type seems to have an influence on the age of onset of @entity775 . Prognosis is excellent, and @entity775 should be considered in the older @entity1 to avoid delayed initiation of immunosuppressive therapy.

XXXX in the elderly.

@entity1 :: ('9606', 'Species') :: ['women', 'Patients', 'patients', 'patient'] @entity99 :: ('MESH:D056486', 'Disease') :: ['icteric hepatitis'] @entity792 :: ('MESH:D001327', 'Disease') :: ['autoimmune diseases'] @entity775 :: ('MESH:D019693', 'Disease') :: ['AIH', 'Autoimmune hepatitis']
@entity775 :: (MESH:D019693,Disease) :: ['Autoimmune hepatitis']
