General Information About Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis
Disease Details and Frequently Asked Questions
It is a serious liver disease characterized by chronic inflammation of the bile ducts inside and outside the liver (including the main duct), leaving scars (sclerosis), thickening, and blockage.
PBC only affects the small, innermost ducts of the liver and is common in women. PSC, on the other hand, affects both internal and large external bile ducts and is mostly seen in young men.
This is the most intriguing aspect of the disease. Approximately 70-80% of PSC patients concurrently have Ulcerative Colitis or Crohn's disease, which affects the large intestine. It is believed that there is an immune system-based link between the two.
The early stage is silent. As the ducts narrow, due to the inability of bile to flow, prominent jaundice (icterus) in the skin and eyes, dark urine, pale stools, severe itching, right upper abdominal pain, and fever (cholangitis attacks) are observed.
Yes, this is the most feared complication of the disease. The risk of developing Cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer) in the bile ducts or gallbladder of PSC patients is quite high compared to the normal population, hence strict MRI monitoring is conducted.
There is no proven medication (such as UDCA) that halts the disease. Obstructed large ducts are expanded with a balloon or stented via an endoscopic procedure called ERCP, which is accessed through the stomach. When the disease progresses to cirrhosis, a Liver Transplant is mandatory.
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