Home / BODY ORGANS AFFECTED / Biliary Tract Disorders

Biliary Tract Disorders

This category comprises disorders involving dysfunction of the biliary tract due to inflammation and/or an autoimmune mechanism.

The biliary tract is a network of vessels that moves, stores, and releases bile made by the liver into the duodenum (first part of the small intestine) in order to dissolve or emulsify fats that have been eaten in the diet.

The biliary tract includes hepatic bile ducts and certain cells inside the liver that carry bile to the cystic bile ducts outside the liver which in turn transport bile to the the gallbladder where bile is stored until needed. When the gallbladder is stimulated, it empties its bile contents back into the cystic bile duct to be carried to the common bile duct which ejects bile into the duodenum through a muscular hole (sphincter of Odi).

Gall Bladder, Impaired Motility 

What Is Impaired Gall Bladder Motility? Impaired gall bladder motility means the gall bladder is slow to empty or is dysfunctional. The functional disorder of the gallbladder is caused initially either by metabolic abnormalities or by an alteration in its muscular ability to ...

Read More »

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis 

What Is Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis? Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is an uncommon, slowly progressive bile duct disease that results in stagnation or build-up of bile in the liver, called cholestasis. Primary sclerosing cholangitis is characterized by sclerosis, or scarring inflammation ...

Read More »

Cirrhosis, Primary Biliary

What Is Primary Biliary Cirrhosis? Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a biliary tract disease characterized by chronic cholestasis (build-up of bile) and gradual destruction of bile ducts within the liver, called intrahepatic bile ducts, caused by chronic inflammation. Primary biliary ...

Read More »

Autoimmune Cholangitis

What Is Autoimmune Cholangitis? Autoimmune cholangitis is a rare inflammatory self-targeted disease of the biliary tract produced by high levels of immunoglobulin G (IgG) antibodies and antinuclear antibodies (ANA). Autoimmune cholangitis is characterized by progressive inflammation and scarring that leads to ...

Read More »