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Cholangitis
Make it clearer
Cholangitis means the bile ducts are inflamed. Picture the network of small tubes that carries bile: inflammation can affect the ducts inside the liver, outside it, or both.
One important form is acute infectious cholangitis. When a stone or tumor blocks a duct, bacteria can find conditions that let an infection take hold. That does not mean every case of cholangitis has the same cause.
In brief
Cholangitis means inflammation of the bile duct system. It can affect ducts inside the liver, outside the liver, or both. The term therefore identifies where inflammation occurs, not one specific cause.
In acute infectious cholangitis, bacteria often take advantage of a blocked duct, such as one obstructed by a stone or tumor. This form should not be confused with other chronic inflammatory diseases of the bile ducts.
Sources (2)
- MedlinePlus, U.S. National Library of MedicineCholangitisPublished
- National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases, NIHDefinition & Facts of Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC)
This page explains the topic in general terms; it does not tell anyone what treatment to follow.
Updated