Cholangitis

Clinic

• Ascending cholangitis, also known as acute cholangitis or simply cholangitis, is inflammation of the bile duct, usually caused by bacteria ascending from its junction with the duodenum (first part of the small intestine).
• It tends to occur if the bile duct is already partially obstructed by gallstones.

Signs / Symptoms

• Characteristic symptoms include Jaundice, fever, abdominal pain, and in severe cases, low blood pressure and confusion.
• Charcot's triad:
  • Abdominal pain (particularly in the right upper quadrant) +
  • Fever +
  • Rigors (uncontrollable shaking) / Malaise

Causes

• Gallstones 10–30% of cases
• Postoperative damage or anastomosis
• Various tumors
• Anaerobic organisms such as Clostridium and Bacteroides
• Parasites such as Ascaris lumbricoides and the liver flukes Clonorchis sinensis, Opisthorchis viverrini and Opisthorchis felineus.
• AIDS cholangiopathy

Related entities

• Cholestasis
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis

Miasm

MTB