hepatic and biliary disorders
Sclerosing Cholangitis
Introduction
Sclerosing cholangitis refers to chronic cholestatic syndromes characterized by patchy inflammation, fibrosis, and strictures of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. Progression obliterates the bile ducts and leads to cirrhosis, liver failure, and sometimes cholangiocarcinoma. (See also Overview of Biliary Function .) Sclerosing cholangitis may be Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) (with no known cause) or secondary due to immune deficiencies (congenital in children, acquired in adults, such as Diagnosis of biliary strictures and dilations requires Imaging Tests of the Liver and Gallbladder such as ultrasonography and cholangiography. Treatment focuses on relieving biliary obstruction (eg, dilating and stenting strictures) and, when possible, eradicating responsible organisms or treating the cause (eg, HIV). 