Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsSymptomsEmergency TreatmentHow Infections DevelopRecoveryManagementLiver HealthTransplant List

Table of ContentsView All

View All

Table of Contents

Symptoms

Emergency Treatment

How Infections Develop

Recovery

Management

Liver Health

Transplant List

Cholangitis can occur as a chronic or acute problem. Chronic cholangitis results in a slow decline of liver function leading toliver failure. The acute version needs urgent care. It can threaten your life if treatment is given too late.

This article describes cholangitis symptoms, types, treatments, and ways to manage this disease.

Primary Biliary Cholangitis (Cirrhosis)

Symptoms of Cholangitis Bile Duct Inflammation

Types of Cholangitis

Cholangitis includes a group of subtypes that occur in different ways. These diseases include the following:

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC): A chronicautoimmunecondition

Emergency Treatment for Cholangitis Complications

Cholangitis can occur as an acute and serious condition that requires emergency treatment. It develops as a result of an infection. Without treatment, it can lead to the following complications:

Having these symptoms requires immediate medical care. Treatment includes addressing the infection and obstruction of the bile duct. The following therapies are used:

Why Do Cholangitis Infections Develop?

You have a higher chance of getting cholangitis if you have one of the following risk factors:

Diagnosis of CholangitisIf you have symptoms of cholangitis, your healthcare provider may use one or more of the following exams and tests to diagnose your condition:Abdominal ultrasoundEndoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram (PTCA)Blood tests:BilirubinlevelLiver enzymetestLiver function testsWhite blood count (WBC)

Diagnosis of Cholangitis

If you have symptoms of cholangitis, your healthcare provider may use one or more of the following exams and tests to diagnose your condition:Abdominal ultrasoundEndoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram (PTCA)Blood tests:BilirubinlevelLiver enzymetestLiver function testsWhite blood count (WBC)

If you have symptoms of cholangitis, your healthcare provider may use one or more of the following exams and tests to diagnose your condition:

Recovering From an Acute Cholangitis Infection

Recovery from an acute cholangitis infection can vary based on the severity of the infection and the methods used to treat it. your prognosis depends on the timing of the administration of antibiotics, early drainage of blocked bile ducts, and other comorbidities. Early treatment can increase your chances of a rapid and full recovery.

Recovery typically involves the following outcomes with these treatments:

Antibiotics

People treated with antibiotics often feel better quickly. Hospitalization may be necessary if you require treatment with intravenous (IV) antibiotics.

The success of this treatment depends on how quickly the medications are administered after symptoms begin. The best results occur when antibiotics are started as soon as possible.

ERCP

After an ERCP, you may go home the same day or stay overnight in the hospital. You may feel the discomfort of bloating after the procedure. A hospital stay is likely if you have an infection so IV antibiotics can be administered.

Recovery from an ERCP usually involves rest for at least 24 hours after your procedure. You may be able to return to work or school the day after the procedure, but other factors, such as recuperation from infection, may require that you allow additional time to heal.

Gallbladder Surgery

Recovery from gallbladder surgeryvaries depending on the type of surgery used. This procedure can be performed via open surgery or with minimally invasive approaches like laparoscopy or robotic-assisted techniques.

Open surgery always requires a hospital stay and about four to six weeks to return to normal activities. Minimally invasive treatments may allow you to go home the same day or reduce the length of your hospital stay. These procedures may allow you to return to normal activities within one to two weeks.

Managing Chronic Cholangitis and Comorbidities

Chronic cholangitis, also called primary biliary cholangitis or PBC disease, occurs as a chronic, incurable autoimmune disease that can progress to end-stage liver disease without treatment.

Alone, chronic cholangitis progresses gradually, often leading to liver failure within about 10-15 years after diagnosis. However, commodities can worsen this prognosis.

Research indicates that the following comorbidities are most common with cholangitis:

At least half of the people with chronic cholangitis have at least one other autoimmune condition. Of these people up to 20% will have two or more additional autoimmune conditions. Three of the most commonly involved include the following:

Management of chronic cholangitis and commodities requires speaking up about physical as well as emotional aspects of your conditions with your healthcare providers. Vigilant follow-up and adherence to treatment regimens prevent complications from one condition that could trigger new symptoms in the other one.

Liver Health With Cholangitis

Your healthcare provider can give you direction on ways to protect your liver health and manage cholangitis complications as they arise. The following strategies are often advised:

Treatment of gallstones, tumors, and parasites may reduce the risk of cholangitis recurring for some people. The insertion of a stent in the bile duct can aid in bile duct drainage and prevent an infection from returning.

Chronic cholangitis leads to liver failure. A liver transplant can be a lifesaving treatment for people with end-stage liver disease, Without a liver transplant, liver failure can lead to death.

How to Choose Good Foods for Your Liver

Getting on the Liver Transplant List for Cholangitis

Liver transplantation can save your life, and it is typically indicated if your cholangitis has progressed to one of the following circumstances:

If you qualify for a liver transplant based on a thorough exam, laboratory tests, and other assessments, and do not have a living donor willing and eligible to donate a liver to you, your transplant center submits your name on the national waiting list for a liver from a deceased donor.

The people with the most urgent need for a new liver are at the top of the national waiting list. The severity of your condition is assessed based on theModel for End-Stage Liver Disease (MELD) score. The sickest people have the highest MELD scores.

The following values are considered in calculating your MELD score:

The length of your wait for a liver transplant can range from less than 30 days to longer than five years based on the urgency of your need. When a liver becomes available, factors such as your age, location, blood type, body size, and overall health are also used to determine whether it is an appropriate match.

What to Expect From a Liver Transplant

Summary

Cholangitis describes an acute or chronic disease that damages your bile ducts. These issues cause scars to form inside the tubes that allow the flow of bile from your liver. In its chronic form, the problem slowly leads to liver failure. When it occurs as an acute problem, it needs emergency care to prevent sepsis, a life-threatening illness.

Symptoms of abdominal pain, jaundice, and fever can be signs of an acute problem. Prompt treatment can improve your outcomes for any form of this disease. The earlier antibiotics are given and clogged ducts are cleared, the better your chances of avoiding sepsis. Early diagnosis and treatment can also help protect liver health and possibly slow disease progress of the chronic form.

17 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.Temple Health.Cholangitis.MUSC Health.Cholangitis.Mohammad Alizadeh AH.Cholangitis: diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2017;5(4):404-413. doi:10.14218/JCTH.2017.00028BMJ Best Practice.Acute cholangitis.Ahmed M.Acute cholangitis - an update.World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. 2018;9(1):1-7.  doi:10.4291/wjgp.v9.i1.1American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE).ASGE guidelines on the management of cholangitis.Mount Sinai.Cholangitis.WakeMed.ERCP: what to expect.Kaiser Permanente.Gallbladder removal surgery:what to expect at home.American Liver Foundation.Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).Primary biliary cholangitis: patient characteristics and the health care economic burden in the United States.Gastroenterol Hepatol (NY). 2021;17(2 Suppl 3):9.American Liver Foundation.Have PCBC? You may be at risk for another autoimmune disease.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, & nutrition for primary biliary cholangitis (primary biliary cirrhosis).UpToDate.Liver transplantation in primary biliary cholangitis.Goldberg DS.Liver transplant in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2016;12(2):127-129.UPMC.What is a MELD score?National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.The liver transplant process.

17 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.Temple Health.Cholangitis.MUSC Health.Cholangitis.Mohammad Alizadeh AH.Cholangitis: diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2017;5(4):404-413. doi:10.14218/JCTH.2017.00028BMJ Best Practice.Acute cholangitis.Ahmed M.Acute cholangitis - an update.World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. 2018;9(1):1-7.  doi:10.4291/wjgp.v9.i1.1American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE).ASGE guidelines on the management of cholangitis.Mount Sinai.Cholangitis.WakeMed.ERCP: what to expect.Kaiser Permanente.Gallbladder removal surgery:what to expect at home.American Liver Foundation.Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).Primary biliary cholangitis: patient characteristics and the health care economic burden in the United States.Gastroenterol Hepatol (NY). 2021;17(2 Suppl 3):9.American Liver Foundation.Have PCBC? You may be at risk for another autoimmune disease.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, & nutrition for primary biliary cholangitis (primary biliary cirrhosis).UpToDate.Liver transplantation in primary biliary cholangitis.Goldberg DS.Liver transplant in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2016;12(2):127-129.UPMC.What is a MELD score?National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.The liver transplant process.

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.

Temple Health.Cholangitis.MUSC Health.Cholangitis.Mohammad Alizadeh AH.Cholangitis: diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2017;5(4):404-413. doi:10.14218/JCTH.2017.00028BMJ Best Practice.Acute cholangitis.Ahmed M.Acute cholangitis - an update.World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. 2018;9(1):1-7.  doi:10.4291/wjgp.v9.i1.1American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE).ASGE guidelines on the management of cholangitis.Mount Sinai.Cholangitis.WakeMed.ERCP: what to expect.Kaiser Permanente.Gallbladder removal surgery:what to expect at home.American Liver Foundation.Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).Primary biliary cholangitis: patient characteristics and the health care economic burden in the United States.Gastroenterol Hepatol (NY). 2021;17(2 Suppl 3):9.American Liver Foundation.Have PCBC? You may be at risk for another autoimmune disease.National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, & nutrition for primary biliary cholangitis (primary biliary cirrhosis).UpToDate.Liver transplantation in primary biliary cholangitis.Goldberg DS.Liver transplant in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2016;12(2):127-129.UPMC.What is a MELD score?National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.The liver transplant process.

Temple Health.Cholangitis.

MUSC Health.Cholangitis.

Mohammad Alizadeh AH.Cholangitis: diagnosis, treatment and prognosis.J Clin Transl Hepatol. 2017;5(4):404-413. doi:10.14218/JCTH.2017.00028

BMJ Best Practice.Acute cholangitis.

Ahmed M.Acute cholangitis - an update.World J Gastrointest Pathophysiol. 2018;9(1):1-7.  doi:10.4291/wjgp.v9.i1.1

American Society for Gastrointestinal Endoscopy (ASGE).ASGE guidelines on the management of cholangitis.

Mount Sinai.Cholangitis.

WakeMed.ERCP: what to expect.

Kaiser Permanente.Gallbladder removal surgery:what to expect at home.

American Liver Foundation.Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC).

Primary biliary cholangitis: patient characteristics and the health care economic burden in the United States.Gastroenterol Hepatol (NY). 2021;17(2 Suppl 3):9.

American Liver Foundation.Have PCBC? You may be at risk for another autoimmune disease.

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.Eating, diet, & nutrition for primary biliary cholangitis (primary biliary cirrhosis).

UpToDate.Liver transplantation in primary biliary cholangitis.

Goldberg DS.Liver transplant in patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis.Gastroenterol Hepatol (N Y). 2016;12(2):127-129.

UPMC.What is a MELD score?

National Institute of Diabetes and Digestive and Kidney Diseases.The liver transplant process.

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