Introduction:

Autoimmune hepatitis (AIH) is a chronic inflammatory disease of the liver, rarely identified by clinicians to the point of being detected in late stages. It is rare, although there is a lack of epidemiological data. Early diagnosis has implications for the outcomes and development of advanced liver disease. This study describes sociodemographic, clinical, and laboratory characteristics, treatments received and their response and outcomes of interest in adult patients diagnosed with AIH treated at a university hospital in Cali, Colombia.

Materials and methods:

This observational historical cohort study included patients over 18 years of age of both sexes diagnosed with definitive AIH treated in the emergency services, outpatient clinic, intensive care, and hospitalization at the Fundación Valle del Lili University Hospital between January 2014 and December 2020.

Results:

81 patients met the inclusion criteria; 86% were women. The median age was 49 (30-61), and autoimmune disease was comorbidity in 28.4%. Regarding pharmacological treatment, prednisolone and azathioprine were the most frequently used for induction and maintenance. The regimen of prednisolone or prednisolone with azathioprine was used in 79%. Four patients underwent liver transplantation, with no acute liver failure cases. There was only one case of mortality not related to AIH during follow-up.

Conclusion:

Patients with definitive AIH are mostly middle-aged adults and women, as found in the literature, with a low percentage of cirrhosis and, in earlier stages, low mortality and liver transplantation requirement. The low percentage of liver biopsy is the most critical limitation in the diagnosis and, therefore, in the outcomes of undiagnosed patients.

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