Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis And How It Affects Your Liver

8. Symptoms

Symptoms of primary sclerosing cholangitis may not show up until after a diagnosis has been given due to a routine blood test or if an X-ray shows abnormalities in the liver. Early signs may include itching and fatigue, although some people may go years before developing any indication of disease. As the illness progresses, the following symptoms may occur: fever, chills, night sweats, pain in the upper right abdomen area, weight loss, an enlarged liver, yellowing eyes and skin (jaundice), and weight loss.

7. Causes And Risk Factors

Although it is not clear what causes primary sclerosing cholangitis, researchers at the Mayo Clinic indicated that the condition might be triggered by to an immune system reaction to a toxin or infection in people who are predisposed to the condition. The American Liver Foundation stated that approximately seventy percent of people with primary sclerosing cholangitis are men. Individuals who have been diagnosed with primary sclerosing cholangitis are often diagnosed with Crohn’s disease or ulcerative colitis as well.