Jan 6th, 2022 - Diagnosis ERCP Open pop-up dialog box Close ERCP ERCP Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) uses a dye to highlight the bile ducts and pancreatic duct on X-ray images. A thin, flexible tube (endoscope) with a camera on the end is passed down your throat and into your small intestine. The dye enters the ducts through a small hollow tube (catheter) passed through the endoscope. Li...

Jan 6th, 2022 - Primary sclerosing cholangitis care at Mayo Clinic Your Mayo Clinic care team Effective treatment of primary sclerosing cholangitis requires coordinated care by several specialties. Specialists in gastroenterology and hepatology, pathologists, oncologists, pediatric specialists, endoscopy specialists and surgeons work as a team to provide comprehensive care for adults and children with primary ...

Jan 6th, 2022 - Overview Bile duct damage Open pop-up dialog box Close Bile duct damage Bile duct damage The bile ducts carry bile from your liver to your small intestine. When bile ducts become damaged, bile can back up into the liver, causing damage to liver cells. This damage can lead to liver failure. Primary sclerosing (skluh-ROHS-ing) cholangitis (koh-lan-JIE-tis) is a disease of the bile ducts. Bile duc...

Nov 23rd, 2021 - Overview What is liver disease? Your liver is your body’s second-largest organ (after the skin). It sits just under your ribcage on the right side and is about the size of a football. The liver separates nutrients and waste as they move through your digestive system. It also produces bile, a substance that carries toxins out of your body and aids in digestion. The term “liver disease” refers to...

Oct 8th, 2021 - Overview What is paralytic ileus? Paralytic ileus occurs in the intestines, the long, tube-like passageway where food is broken down and absorbed before the waste is pushed out as poop. The intestines process your food along this journey through a series of wave-like movements called peristalsis. Paralytic ileus is the paralysis of these movements. It means that the muscles or nerve signals tha...

Sep 29th, 2021 - Overview Bile duct damage Open pop-up dialog box Close Bile duct damage Bile duct damage The bile ducts carry bile from your liver to your small intestine. When bile ducts become damaged, bile can back up into the liver, causing damage to liver cells. This damage can lead to liver failure. Primary biliary cholangitis, previously called primary biliary cirrhosis, is a chronic disease in which th...

Sep 29th, 2021 - Primary biliary cirrhosis care at Mayo Clinic Your Mayo Clinic care team Liver specialists (hepatologists), radiologists, pathologists and surgeons work together as a team to provide comprehensive and coordinated care for people with primary biliary cholangitis. Advanced diagnosis and treatment Mayo Clinic offers the latest diagnostic tests for primary biliary cholangitis, including magnetic re...

Sep 29th, 2021 - Overview Bile duct damage Open pop-up dialog box Close Bile duct damage Bile duct damage The bile ducts carry bile from your liver to your small intestine. When bile ducts become damaged, bile can back up into the liver, causing damage to liver cells. This damage can lead to liver failure. Primary biliary cholangitis, previously called primary biliary cirrhosis, is a chronic disease in which th...

Sep 29th, 2021 - Diagnosis Your doctor will ask you about your health history and your family's health history, and perform a physical exam. The following tests and procedures may be used to diagnose primary biliary cholangitis. Blood tests: Liver tests. These blood tests check the levels of enzymes that may signal liver disease and bile duct injury. Antibody tests for signs of autoimmune disease. Blood tests m...

Sep 24th, 2021 - Overview Pancreatitis caused by gallstones Open pop-up dialog box Close Pancreatitis caused by gallstones Pancreatitis caused by gallstones Gallstones are a common cause of pancreatitis. Gallstones, produced in the gallbladder, can slip out of the gallbladder and block the bile duct, stopping pancreatic enzymes from traveling to the small intestine and forcing them back into the pancreas. The e...

Sep 24th, 2021 - Diagnosis Tests and procedures used to diagnose pancreatitis include: Blood tests to look for elevated levels of pancreatic enzymes, along with white blood cells, kidney function and liver enzymes Abdominal ultrasound to look for gallstones and pancreas inflammation Computerized tomography (CT) scan to look for gallstones and assess the extent of pancreas inflammation Magnetic resonance imaging...

Jul 20th, 2021 - Overview What is extrahepatic bile duct cancer? Extrahepatic bile duct cancer is a rare disease in which malignant (cancer) cells form in the part of the bile duct that is outside your liver. Bile duct cancer itself is called cholangiocarcinoma. Extrahepatic means "outside the liver," so this type of cancer refers to cancer that begins in the bile duct outside your liver. What do the bile ducts...

Jun 22nd, 2021 - Diagnosis Your doctor will ask you about your health history and your family's health history, and perform a physical exam. The following tests and procedures may be used to diagnose primary biliary cholangitis. Blood tests: Liver tests. These blood tests check the levels of enzymes that may signal liver disease and bile duct injury. Antibody tests for signs of autoimmune disease. Blood tests m...

May 7th, 2021 - Overview What is cholangiocarcinoma? Cholangiocarcinoma is a rare cancer that starts in your bile ducts. Bile ducts are thin tubes that bring bile (a fluid that helps you digest food) from your liver and gallbladder to your small intestine. Most people receive a cholangiocarcinoma diagnosis after the cancer has already spread outside of their bile ducts. It’s difficult to treat and the prognosi...

Jan 22nd, 2021 - Diagnosis Autoimmune pancreatitis is difficult to diagnose, because its signs and symptoms are very similar to those of pancreatic cancer. However, an accurate diagnosis is extremely important. Undiagnosed cancer may result in delaying or not receiving necessary treatment. People with AIP tend to have a general enlargement of the pancreas, but they may also have a mass in the pancreas. To pinpo...

Oct 8th, 2020 - Overview What is the gallbladder? The gallbladder is a small, sac-like organ that sits under the liver on the right side of your abdomen (belly). The gallbladder stores a greenish fluid called bile. Bile is made and released by the liver and then sent to the small intestine, where it helps the body break down and absorb food. Bile moves through a network of tube-like structures called bile duct...

Jul 10th, 2020 - Overview Anatomy of the gallbladder, featuring gallstones stuck in the cystic duct. What is cholecystitis? Cholecystitis is an inflammation of the gallbladder. Your gallbladder is a small pear-shaped organ tucked away under your liver in the upper right section of your abdomen. The gallbladder’s job is to store bile – a fat-digesting fluid made by the liver – and to release it after you eat a m...

Feb 4th, 2020 - Overview What are colon polyps? A colon polyp is a growth on the inner lining of the colon (large intestine) or rectum. A polyp can have a variety of shapes and be flat, slightly raised (called sessile) or on a stalk (called pedunculated). There are different microscopic types of polyps (which require a microscope to determine), and the adenomas or sessile serrated polyps can eventually grow ov...

Oct 7th, 2019 - Overview Do You Have Gallstone Pain? What are gallstones? Gallstones are stone-like objects that develop in the gallbladder or bile ducts (the pipe-like system within the liver). Gallstones can range dramatically in size, from tiny grains of sand to golf ball-sized objects. Interestingly, small stones can often cause the most trouble. These are stones that can leave the gallbladder and get stuc...

Mar 6th, 2019 - Overview What is biliary atresia? Biliary atresia is a condition in newborn babies in which bile is blocked from moving from the liver to the small intestine. Bile is a substance that is made and released by the liver. From the liver, it moves through a network of tube-like structures called bile ducts to the small intestine, where it helps the body break down and absorb food. In children who h...