Cholangitis: symptoms, causes and methods of treatment of the disease

Quite often among the world's population, a disease called cholangitis is diagnosed. Symptoms of this disease are very characteristic and, one way or another, associated with inflammation of the bile duct, both those located in the liver tissues and extrahepatic.

Cholangitis: causes of the disease

In most cases, the cause of this disease is the penetration of pathogenic microorganisms into the bile ducts. They can penetrate along with the blood flow, through the lymphatic ducts, as well as from the duodenum. Sometimes cholangitis occurs against a background of more dangerous diseases, for example, with a tumor or a bile of the bile duct. Distinguish between acute and chronic cholangitis. Symptoms of these diseases differ slightly.

Cholangitis: symptoms of the disease

Acute cholangitis in most cases begins with a so-called hepatic colic, which is accompanied by severe pain in the right hypochondrium. Then the sick person starts to rise the temperature, he is very shivering, the body is regularly covered with a cold sweat, all sorts of symptoms of intoxication, including general weakness, are noticeable.

Quite often cholangitis is accompanied by a so-called mechanical jaundice. In this case, all the external signs of this disease are noticeable - yellowing of the covers, eye whites.

Quite serious is purulent and necrotic forms of cholangitis. If the patient refuses immediate treatment, the development of renal and hepatic insufficiency, as well as liver abscess, begins in patients. Quite often, the severe form of this disease ends in a fatal outcome.

As for the chronic form of the disease, as a rule, the symptoms here are less pronounced, and the course of the illness includes periods of complications, as well as periods of relative rest and health of the body. Chronic cholangitis can be primary, but the most common is the secondary form that occurs after the acute form of the disease.

Very rarely diagnosed septic form of chronic cholangitis, the causative agent of which is streptococcus. This disease is very difficult and is accompanied by kidney damage and a significant increase in the volume of the spleen.

Cholangitis: Diagnosis

Remember that only an experienced doctor can diagnose cholangitis. The symptoms here are quite obvious, so additional research is usually not required. Jaundice, severe fever and sharp pains - this is for the doctor enough to suspect cholangitis.

In addition, with palpation of the abdomen there is a moderate increase in the liver, the edges of which are rounded.

The patient also needs to donate blood. During the laboratory study, leukocytosis is noticeable. Sometimes appoint and ultrasound examination of the liver. All these methods allow us to determine not only the presence of the disease, but also its cause, stage of development and form.

Cholangitis: treatment

Practically in all cases, the treatment of this disease is carried out by surgical intervention, during which the outflow of bile from the liver is normalized.

In addition, before the operation of the patient   Prescribe antispasmodic, anti-inflammatory and analgesic drugs, as well as therapy with antibiotics to kill the infection and prevent possible complications.

In most cases, endoscopy methods are used, with the help of which bile stasis can be eliminated . In most cases, the prognosis for sick patients is quite encouraging. The only exception is necrotic, as well as purulent cholangitis, because with such a course of the disease the success of treatment directly depends on the degree of morphological changes in the body of the sick person.