Primary sclerosing cholangitis
Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a disease of the bile ducts Bile ducts carry digestive fluid - bile from the liver to the small intestine In primary sclerosing cholangitis, inflammation causes scarring of the bile ducts The scarring narrows and tightens the ducts, causing serious damage to the liver over time.
In the majority of patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis, the disease progresses slowly and leads to liver failure, recurrent infections, bile duct and liver tumors. The only treatment for the disease is liver transplantation
Researches are being conducted to improve the treatment of the disease and scientists are achieving reliable results However, until better treatment methods are proven safe and effective, disease control includes monitoring liver function, managing symptoms, and if possible, procedures that temporarily unblock obstructed bile ducts.
The causes of primary sclerosing cholangitis are unknown In genetically predisposed individuals, the immune system's response to an infection or a toxin may be the cause of the disease
Many people with the disease also have inflammatory bowel disease - a term that includes ulcerative colitis and Crohn's disease. Primary sclerosing cholangitis and inflammatory bowel disease do not always occur at the same time In some cases, primary sclerosing cholangitis appears years before inflammatory bowel disease In rare cases, during the treatment of inflammatory bowel disease, it turns out that the patient also has cholangitis Patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis sometimes develop inflammatory bowel disease only after liver transplantation.
Primary sclerosing cholangitis is often diagnosed before symptoms appear during a blood test or X-ray examination to investigate another, unrelated disease.
Early symptoms:
After diagnosis, patients may feel well for years before symptoms develop. However, it is difficult to determine in advance how quickly the disease will begin to progress in an individual Symptoms of the later stages of the disease:
- pain in the upper right part of the abdomen
- fever
- chills
- night sweats
- enlargement of the liver
- weight loss
- yellowing of the eyes and skin
Also see your doctor if you feel tired all the time
In case of ulcerative colitis or Crohn's disease, it is important for the doctor to be aware of unexplained fatigue and itching. These pathologies are forms of intestinal inflammatory diseases Most people with primary sclerosing cholangitis have one of these diseases
