Primary sclerosing cholangitis

Abstract

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic liver disease characterized by a progressive course of cholestasis with inflammation and fibrosis of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts. PSC is strongly associated (60-80%) with inflammatory bowel disease (IBD), mainly ulcerative colitis, and is often complicated by the development of cholangiocarcinoma. Most individuals  have no symptoms (44-56%), and the presence of primary sclerosing cholangitis is recognized only because of abnormally elevated blood levels of liver enzymes that often are performed along with a routine physical examination.