It is not related to cancer or malignancy in any way, nor to excessive alcohol consumption. Cirrhosis is frequently assumed to mean damage to the liver caused by drinking too much alcohol, but this is often not the case. Cirrhosis is advanced scarring which changes the structure of the liver and is caused by a number of liver diseases. Despite its name not everyone with primary biliary cirrhosis will go on to develop cirrhosis. In some people PBC is symptomless.
Most people have few or no symptoms for several years.
It is not known exactly causes PBC although knowledge of the condition is increasing all the time. Usually, but not always, PBC affects women of middle age or above. Occasionally the condition becomes apparent during or just after pregnancy but is not clear whether this is because of close medical supervision, or is in some way related to the pregnancy. Some doctors think the trigger could be an infection, a toxin or some hereditary factor. Contents Tests PBC is usually diagnosed by blood tests, xray, ultrasound scan and a liver biopsy.