PRIMARY SCLEROSING CHOLANGITIS - CLINIC A ND THERAPY

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) leads to a chronic fibrosis of th e intra- or extrahepatic bile ducts. The morphological characteristics with dilatations and strictures of the bile ducts are shown by endosc opic retrograde cholangiography. The etiology of the disease, which ma inly affects young male patients, is not clear. Moreover, there is a c lose correlation to inflammatory bowel diseases. Pruritus and jaundice are the characteristic clinical signs. The progressive course of the disease leads to a secondary biliary cirrhosis. Ursodeoxycholic acid ( UDCA) is the drug of choice for the medical treatment. Controlled clin ical trials have shown the positive effects on clinical symptoms, labo ratory tests and histological changes. However, liver transplantation is required for the progressive stages of PSC.