Bile Duct Obstruction Overview
Learn About Bile Duct Obstruction
Bile duct obstruction is a blockage in the tubes that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine.
Biliary obstruction
Bile is a liquid released by the liver. It contains cholesterol, bile salts, and waste products such as bilirubin. Bile salts help your body break down (digest) fats. Bile passes out of the liver through the bile ducts and is stored in the gallbladder. After a meal, it is released into the small intestine.
When the bile ducts become blocked, bile builds up in the liver, and jaundice (yellow color of the skin) develops due to the increasing level of bilirubin in the blood.
The possible causes of a blocked bile duct include:
- Cysts of the common bile duct
- Enlarged lymph nodes in the porta hepatis (an area on the underside of the liver through which the bile duct passes)
- Gallstones
- Inflammation of the bile ducts
- Narrowing of the bile ducts from scarring
- Injury of a bile duct from gallbladder surgery
- Tumors of the bile ducts or pancreas
- Tumors that have spread to the biliary system
- Liver and bile duct worms (flukes)
The risk factors for a blocked bile duct include:
- A history of gallstones, chronic pancreatitis, or pancreatic cancer
- Injury to the abdominal area
- Recent biliary surgery
- Recent biliary cancer (such as bile duct cancer)
The blockage can also be caused by infections. This is more common in people with weakened immune systems.
Symptoms may include:
- Abdominal pain in the upper right side
- Dark urine
- Fever
- Itching
- Jaundice (yellow skin color)
- Nausea and vomiting
- Clay-colored or pale stools
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. Your provider may prescribe antibiotics if an infection is suspected.
If the blockage is caused by cancer, the duct may need to be widened. This procedure is called endoscopic or percutaneous (through the skin next to the liver) dilation. A tube (stent or drain) may need to be placed to allow drainage.
Umass Memorial Medical Group Inc
Sarah Hyder is a Gastroenterologist in Worcester, Massachusetts. Dr. Hyder and is rated as an Advanced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Bile Duct Obstruction. Her top areas of expertise are Visceromegaly, Acute Pancreatitis, Barrett Esophagus, Endoscopy, and Gastrectomy.
Lifespan Physician Group Inc
Fadlallah Habr is a Gastroenterologist in East Providence, Rhode Island. Dr. Habr and is rated as an Experienced provider by MediFind in the treatment of Bile Duct Obstruction. His top areas of expertise are Barrett Esophagus, Choledocholithiasis, Gastrointestinal Bleeding, Endoscopy, and Colonoscopy.
Associated Physicians Of Harvard Medical Faculty Physicians At Beth Is
Matthew Sullivan is a Gastroenterologist in Needham, Massachusetts. Dr. Sullivan and is rated as a Distinguished provider by MediFind in the treatment of Bile Duct Obstruction. His top areas of expertise are Familial Adenomatous Polyposis, Bile Duct Obstruction, Esophagitis, Endoscopy, and Colonoscopy.
If the blockage is not corrected, it can lead to life-threatening infection and a dangerous buildup of bilirubin.
If the blockage lasts a long time, chronic liver disease can result. Most obstructions can be treated with endoscopy or surgery. Obstructions caused by cancer often have a worse outcome.
Left untreated, the possible complications include infections, sepsis, and liver disease, such as biliary cirrhosis.
Contact your provider if you:
- Notice a change in the color of your urine and stools
- Develop jaundice
- Have abdominal pain that doesn't go away or keeps recurring
Be aware of any risk factors you have, so that you can get prompt diagnosis and treatment if a bile duct becomes blocked. The blockage itself may not be preventable.
Summary: This is an open-label, non-comparator, global, multi-center, long-term safety study for evaluating safety and tolerability of linerixibat in participants with cholestatic pruritus in primary biliary cholangitis (PBC) who participated in a prior clinical trial with linerixibat (BAT117123 \[NCT01899703\], 201000 GLIMMER \[NCT02966834\] (group 1) or 212620 GLISTEN \[NCT00210418\]) (group 2). All part...
Summary: Biliary atresia, idiopathic neonatal hepatitis, and specific genetic cholestatic conditions are the most common causes of jaundice and hyperbilirubinemia that continue beyond the newborn period. The long term goal of the Childhood Liver Disease Research Network (ChiLDReN) is to establish a database of clinical information and plasma, serum, and tissue samples from cholestatic children to facilitat...
Published Date: June 11, 2024
Published By: Jenifer K. Lehrer, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Aria - Jefferson Health Torresdale, Jefferson Digestive Diseases Network, Philadelphia, PA. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Fogel EL, Sherman S. Diseases of the gallbladder and bile ducts. In: Goldman L, Cooney KA, eds. Goldman-Cecil Medicine. 27th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2024:chap 141.
Lidofsky SD. Jaundice. In: Feldman M, Friedman LS, Brandt LJ, eds. Sleisenger and Fordtran's Gastrointestinal and Liver Disease. 11th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2021:chap 21.