What is primary biliary cirrhosis?
Primary biliary cirrhosis is a chronic disease in which the bile ducts in your liver are slowly destroyed.
Bile is a fluid made in your liver. It aids with digestion and helps you absorb certain vitamins. It also helps your body get rid of cholesterol, toxins and worn-out red blood cells.
Chronic inflammation in the liver can lead to bile duct damage, irreversible scarring of liver tissue (cirrhosis) and eventually, liver failure.
It's considered an autoimmune disease, which means your body's immune system is mistakenly attacking healthy cells and tissue.
Researchers think a combination of genetic and environmental factors triggers the disease. It usually develops slowly.
At this time, there's no cure for primary biliary cholangitis, but medication can slow liver damage, especially if treatment begins early.
Symptoms
More than half the people with primary biliary cholangitis do not have any noticeable symptoms when diagnosed. The disease may be diagnosed when blood tests are done for other reasons, such as routine testing.
Common early symptoms include:
- Fatigue
- Itchy skin
Later signs and symptoms may include:
- Dry eyes and mouth
- Pain in the upper right abdomen
- Swelling of the spleen (splenomegaly)
- Bone, muscle or joint (musculoskeletal) pain
- Swollen feet and ankles (edema)
- Buildup of fluid in the abdomen due to liver failure (ascites)
- Fatty deposits (xanthomas) on the skin
- Yellowing of the skin and eyes (jaundice)
- Darkening of the skin that's not related to sun exposure (hyperpigmentation)
- Weak and brittle bones (osteoporosis), which can lead to fractures
- High cholesterol
- Diarrhea, which may include greasy stools (steatorrhea)
- Underactive thyroid (hypothyroidism)
- Weight loss
People between the ages of 30 and 60 usually suffer from primary biliary cirrhosis.
Primary biliary cirrhosis is more common in women.
Source:
https://www.mayoclinic.org/diseases-conditions/primary-biliary-
cholangitis/symptoms-causes/syc-20376874
