What causes narrowing of the bile duct?
A bile duct stricture is often caused by injury to the bile ducts during surgery. For example, it may occur after surgery to remove the gallbladder. Other causes of this condition include: Cancer of the bile duct, liver or pancreas.
What are the symptoms of a plugged bile duct?
Symptoms
- Abdominal pain in the upper right side.
- Dark urine.
- Fever.
- Itching.
- Jaundice (yellow skin color)
- Nausea and vomiting.
- Pale-colored stools.
What does narrowing of the bile duct mean?
Biliary stricture occurs when the bile duct (the tube that takes bile from the liver to the small bowel) gets smaller or narrower. Bile is a substance that helps in digestion of fatty food. A narrowed bile duct makes it difficult for bile to pass to the small bowel, causing a buildup of bile.
Can a blocked bile duct be fixed?
The goal of treatment is to relieve the blockage. Stones may be removed using an endoscope during an ERCP. In some cases, surgery is required to bypass the blockage. The gallbladder will usually be surgically removed if the blockage is caused by gallstones.
Is narrowing of bile duct serious?
A bile duct stricture that completely blocks a bile duct can lead to inflammation of organs within or outside of the biliary tree (gallbladder, liver and pancreas) as well as a serious bacterial infection within the liver (ascending cholangitis).
How long can you live with a blocked bile duct?
Death from obstructive jaundice in the first few weeks of its course is quite rare and is only occasionally observed. After a period varying from four to six months, however, patients suffering from occlusion of the common bile duct usually deteriorate rapidly and die.
How serious is a blocked bile duct?
Potential complications of a bile duct obstruction are serious and can be life threatening. This includes infection, which can lead to sepsis, and dangerously high levels of bilirubin in the blood. Long-term bile duct blockages can lead to chronic liver disease, such as biliary cirrhosis.
Does a narrow bile duct cause pain?
Symptoms of a bile duct stricture may occur over several years as scar tissue develops. Common symptoms and signs of a bile duct stricture include: Abdominal pain on the right side of the body (where the liver and gallbladder are located) Itching (a common symptom)
Does blocked bile duct hurt?
When a blockage occurs in any of the bile ducts, bile accumulates within nearby structures. As bile builds up in the liver, it causes jaundice and other symptoms, such as nausea, vomiting, and upper abdominal pain. Depending on the cause, these symptoms can develop abruptly or slowly with time.
What are the symptoms of bile duct obstruction?
Common symptoms of bile duct obstruction include pale stools, dark urine, jaundice, itching, pain in the upper right side of the abdomen, nausea, vomiting, weight loss, and fever. Diagnosis often requires a physical exam, blood tests, and imaging scans.
What causes Blocked bile duct?
Gallstones are the most common cause of blocked bile ducts. Stones typically form inside the gallbladder and can block the common bile duct, the drainpipe at the base of the liver.
What is obstruction of common bile duct?
Bile duct obstruction is a blockage in the common bile duct that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine. Bile duct (or biliary) obstruction occurs for numerous reasons. Causes can include cancerous and non-cancerous processes as well as injuries from medical procedures or operations.
Where is the bile duct?
The bile duct is the small tube that carries bile from the gallbladder to the intestine. The gallbladder is a pear-shaped organ below your liver in the upper right side of your abdomen. These stones usually remain in the gallbladder or pass through the common bile duct unobstructed.