INFORMATION ON BILIARY TRACT DISEASES:-
Biliary tract diseases can occur in any part of biliary tract including bile duct and gallbladder.
TYPES OF BILIARY TRACT DISEASES:-
1. Choledocholithiasis
2. Cholangiocarcinoma.
CAUSES OF BILIARY TRACT DISEASES:-
1. Drugs, such as anabolic steroids and chlorpromazine.
2. Hepatitis.
3. Alcohol.
4. Neoplasm.
5. metastatic tumors.
SYMPTOMS OF BILIARY TRACT DISEASES:-
(Choledocholithiasis)
The majority of patients with choledocholithiasis report upper abdominal pain although some patients may remain asymptomatic. Because complete obstruction of the bile duct by the stone may be intermittent, patients may report episodic jaundice.
The initial presentation of choledocholithiasis can also be heralded by an episode of cholangitis. Gallstone pancreatitis presents with typical features of pancreatitis including epigastric pain, nausea, and vomiting.
SYMPTOMS OF BILIARY TRACT DISEASES:-
(Cholangiocarcinoma)
Patients typically present with jaundice and pruritus and more generalized symptoms such as weight loss, anorexia, and fatigue. Cholangiocarcinoma should always be suspected in a previously stable patient with PSC who has a rapid clinical decline.
DIAGNOSIS OF BILIARY TRACT DISEASES:-
(Choledocholithiasis)
Several diagnostic tools which can be used for determining suspect having choledocholithiasis are:
1. Ultrasound
2. CT scan,
3. detecting gallbladder stones and bile duct dilatation
4. Abdominal CT scanning
DIAGNOSIS OF BILIARY TRACT DISEASES:-
(Cholangiocarcinoma)
Several diagnostic tools which can be used for determining suspect having Cholangiocarcinoma are:
1. Ultrasound examination or
2. CT scanning
3. Direct cholangiography with ERC or percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography with brush cytology of the biliary tree
4. Blood testing for cancer antigens
PREVENTION OF BILIARY TRACT DISEASES:-
(Choledocholithiasis)
The main aims of therapy for choledocholithiasis are to remove the stone from the biliary tree and to urgently decompress the biliary tree if bacterial cholangitis is present. In the presence of bacterial cholangitis when a stone cannot be removed for technical reasons an endoscopy is done in order to decompress the biliary tree.
PREVENTION OF BILIARY TRACT DISEASES
(Cholangiocarcinoma)
The procedure for prevention against Cholangiocarcinoma is accomplished by radiation and chemotherapy followed by liver transplantation in subjects when they are in very early stage of disease.
Palliative therapy includes percutaneously or endoscopically placed biliary stenting. Photodynamic therapy has also been used with some success
