MSD Manual

Please confirm that you are not located inside the Russian Federation

honeypot link

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

By

The Manual's Editorial Staff

Reviewed/Revised Jul 2023
VIEW PROFESSIONAL VERSION
Get the full details
Topic Resources

What is primary sclerosing cholangitis?

Primary sclerosing cholangitis is a long-term disease that causes swelling, scarring, and narrowing of the bile ducts.

Your bile ducts are tubes that carry bile from your liver to your intestines. Bile is a greenish thick fluid that helps in digestion. Inside your liver are small bile ducts. Outside your liver are larger bile ducts that connect your liver to your intestines.

What causes primary sclerosing cholangitis?

What are the symptoms of primary sclerosing cholangitis?

How can doctors tell if I have primary sclerosing cholangitis?

Doctors suspect you have primary sclerosing cholangitis from your symptoms and abnormalities they see on liver blood tests. To tell for sure they'll do:

  • Ultrasound of your bile ducts

  • A special kind of MRI (magnetic resonance imaging) called MRCP (magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography) that focuses on your bile ducts

  • Special blood tests

How do doctors treat primary sclerosing cholangitis?

There's no cure for primary sclerosing cholangitis.

If you don’t have any symptoms, doctors will do blood tests twice a year to check how well your liver is working.

If you have symptoms, doctors treat primary sclerosing cholangitis using:

Where can I get more information about primary sclerosing cholangitis?

NOTE: This is the Consumer Version. DOCTORS: VIEW PROFESSIONAL VERSION
VIEW PROFESSIONAL VERSION
quiz link

Test your knowledge

Take a Quiz! 
iOS ANDROID
iOS ANDROID
iOS ANDROID
TOP