Bile duct obstruction Health Article

Definition

Bile duct obstruction is a blockage in the tubes that carry bile from the liver to the gallbladder and small intestine.

Alternative Names

Biliary obstruction

Causes, incidence, and risk factors

Bile is a liquid released by the liver. It contains cholesterol, bile salts, and waste products such as bilirubin. Bile salts help your body break down (digest) fats. Bile passes out of the liver through the bile ducts and is stored in the gallbladder. After a meal, it is released into the small intestine.

When the bile ducts become blocked, bile builds up in the liver, and jaundice (yellow color of the skin) develops due to the increasing levels of bilirubin in the blood.

The possible causes of a blocked bile duct include:

• Cysts of the common bile duct
• Enlarged lymp nodes in the porta hepatis
• Gallstones
• Inflammation of the bile ducts
• Trauma including injury from gallbladder surgery
• Tumors of the bile ducts or pancreas
• Other tumors that have spread to the biliary system

The risk factors include:

• History of gallstones, chronic pancreatitis, or pancreatic cancer
• Injury to the abdominal area
• Recent biliary surgery
• Recent biliary cancer (such as bile duct cancer)

The blockage can also be caused by infections. This is more common in persons with weakened immune systems.

Symptoms

• Abdominal pain in the upper right side
• Dark urine
• Fever
• Itching
• Jaundice (yellow skin color)
• Nausea and vomiting
• Pale-colored stools

Signs and tests

Your health care provider will examine your abdomen and may be able to feel the gallbladder.

The following blood test results could be a sign of a possible blockage:

• Increased bilirubin level
• Increased alkaline phosphatase level
• Increased liver enzymes

The following tests may be used to investigate a possible blocked bile duct:

• Abdominal ultrasound
• Abdominal CT scan
• ERCP (endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography)
• Percutaneous transhepatic cholangiogram (PTCA)
• Magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography (MRCP)

• Amylase blood test
• Gallbladder radionuclide scan
• Urine bilirubin