Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Cholestasis?SymptomsComplicationsCausesDiagnosisTreatmentOutlook
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Cholestasis?
Symptoms
Complications
Causes
Diagnosis
Treatment
Outlook
Cholestasis can cause the skin and the whites of the eyes to appear yellow. It may also cause itchy skin, fatigue, nausea, and foul-smelling stools. The condition can affect people of all ages.
This article discusses cholestasis and what causes it. It also covers how this condition is diagnosed and treated.
When bile doesn’t flow properly, it can cause inflammation or problems in your digestive system.
The lack of any of the substances that are normally secreted into bile can cause cholestasis. These substances include:
Cholestasis can occur in men and women of any age.
Cholestasis Symptoms
Bile works in the small intestine to help break down and absorb fats into the body. When cholestasis occurs, the flow of bile is impaired at some point between the liver and the small intestine.
When the flow ofbileis blocked or reduced for any reason,bilirubinbegins to escape into the bloodstream and starts to build up. This eventually causes a yellowish hue to the skin and whites of the eyes, as found in jaundice. Jaundice occurs due to the excess in bilirubin pigment.
Jaundice anditchy skinare the two most characteristic symptoms of cholestasis. A cholestasis itch is usually most pronounced on the palms and soles of the feet but it can also occur all over the body. It may worsen in the evenings.
Other symptoms may include:
If the condition persists long-term (chronic), symptoms can include:
Depending on the cause, other symptoms may includenausea, vomiting, orfever. Adults with long-term cholestasis are often free of symptoms.
If cholestasis is left untreated, it can lead to complications, some of which are life-threatening. These include:
Cholestasis Causes
Various conditions of the liver, the pancreas, or the ducts that carry bile from the liver and gallbladder can cause a decrease in the flow of bile and result in cholestasis. An obstruction in the flow of any of the substances that make up bile can result in cholestasis.
Causes Affecting Your Liver
Many of the conditions that can cause cholestasis affect the liver directly. These include:
Causes Outside the Liver
Conditions that affect the bile ducts or the pancreas can also cause cholestasis, including:
Medication Causes
The liver removes toxic substances such as those in many drugs, including prescription medications. Some medications are harder for the liver to break down and may even become toxic to it. Medications that can damage the liver include:
A person with cholestasis may need to stop taking certain medications that have toxic side effects but should never stop taking prescription drugs without first consulting with their healthcare provider.
Diagnosing Cholestasis
A complete medical history and physical exam will be part of a diagnostic assessment for cholestasis. When someone has symptoms of jaundice, the primary goal of diagnosis is to determine whether the cause comes from inside or outside of the liver.
There are many tests used to diagnose cholestasis, including lab tests such as:
If the cause of cholestasis is a blockage of the bile ducts, more precise images of the ducts will be needed via a procedure using a flexible tube with a viewing tube called an endoscope.
Cholestasis Treatment
Treatment of cholestasis depends on the underlying cause. These include:
If hepatitis is the underlying cause, cholestasis will subside once thehepatitisis cleared up.
Prevention
Cholestasis can’t always be prevented, but there are some things you can do to prevent the most common causes of the condition:
Recovery from cholestasis is dependent on many factors including the underlying cause and how severe the condition was before its diagnosis.
If the cause of cholestasis is a blockage fromgallstones, those can be surgically removed, and relatively quick and full recovery can be expected.If the cause is damage to the liver from chronic alcohol use, the result may be liver cirrhosis, which may be too severe to expect any type of quick recovery.
Seek medical attention as soon as possible if you have any early signs of cholestasis such as jaundice and itchy skin. Be sure to discuss your individual case and your options with your healthcare provider.
Summary
Cholestasis occurs when the flow of bile from the liver stops or slows. When this happens, the bile can back up into the organs and cause problems like inflammation, jaundice, and digestive issues.
Symptoms of cholestasis include a yellowing of the skin and eyes, itching, fatigue, and nausea. Treatment depends on the cause of the condition. Some cases of cholestasis are curable with surgery and others require long-term management.
7 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine.Bile.Ahmed M.Functional, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of bile.Clin Exp Gastroenterol. 2022;15:105-120. doi:10.2147/CEG.S360563National Library of Medicine.Jaundice.Langedijk JAGM, Beuers UH, Oude Elferink RPJ.Cholestasis-associated pruritus and its pruritogens.Front Med (Lausanne). 2021;8:639674. doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.639674National Library of Medicine.Cholestasis.Lewis JH.The art and science of diagnosing and managing drug-induced liver injury in 2015 and beyond.Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2015;13(12):2173-89.e8. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2015.06.017Lu L; Chinese Society of Hepatology and Chinese Medical Association.Guidelines for the management of cholestatic liver diseases (2021).J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2022;10(4):757-769. doi:10.14218/JCTH.2022.00147
7 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.National Library of Medicine.Bile.Ahmed M.Functional, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of bile.Clin Exp Gastroenterol. 2022;15:105-120. doi:10.2147/CEG.S360563National Library of Medicine.Jaundice.Langedijk JAGM, Beuers UH, Oude Elferink RPJ.Cholestasis-associated pruritus and its pruritogens.Front Med (Lausanne). 2021;8:639674. doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.639674National Library of Medicine.Cholestasis.Lewis JH.The art and science of diagnosing and managing drug-induced liver injury in 2015 and beyond.Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2015;13(12):2173-89.e8. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2015.06.017Lu L; Chinese Society of Hepatology and Chinese Medical Association.Guidelines for the management of cholestatic liver diseases (2021).J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2022;10(4):757-769. doi:10.14218/JCTH.2022.00147
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
National Library of Medicine.Bile.Ahmed M.Functional, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of bile.Clin Exp Gastroenterol. 2022;15:105-120. doi:10.2147/CEG.S360563National Library of Medicine.Jaundice.Langedijk JAGM, Beuers UH, Oude Elferink RPJ.Cholestasis-associated pruritus and its pruritogens.Front Med (Lausanne). 2021;8:639674. doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.639674National Library of Medicine.Cholestasis.Lewis JH.The art and science of diagnosing and managing drug-induced liver injury in 2015 and beyond.Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2015;13(12):2173-89.e8. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2015.06.017Lu L; Chinese Society of Hepatology and Chinese Medical Association.Guidelines for the management of cholestatic liver diseases (2021).J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2022;10(4):757-769. doi:10.14218/JCTH.2022.00147
National Library of Medicine.Bile.
Ahmed M.Functional, diagnostic and therapeutic aspects of bile.Clin Exp Gastroenterol. 2022;15:105-120. doi:10.2147/CEG.S360563
National Library of Medicine.Jaundice.
Langedijk JAGM, Beuers UH, Oude Elferink RPJ.Cholestasis-associated pruritus and its pruritogens.Front Med (Lausanne). 2021;8:639674. doi:10.3389/fmed.2021.639674
National Library of Medicine.Cholestasis.
Lewis JH.The art and science of diagnosing and managing drug-induced liver injury in 2015 and beyond.Clin Gastroenterol Hepatol. 2015;13(12):2173-89.e8. doi:10.1016/j.cgh.2015.06.017
Lu L; Chinese Society of Hepatology and Chinese Medical Association.Guidelines for the management of cholestatic liver diseases (2021).J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2022;10(4):757-769. doi:10.14218/JCTH.2022.00147
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