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Diseases » Cholangitis » Glossary

Glossary for Cholangitis

Abdominal Pain: A condition which is characterized by the sensation of pain that is located in the abdomen
Abdominal discomfort: The sensation of discomfort located in the abdomen
Abdominal pain: A condition which is characterized by the sensation of pain that is located in the abdomen
Acute Pancreatitis: Sudden severe inflammation of the pancreas causing digestive complaints.
Alveolar Hydatid Disease: Rare multi-organ tapeworm infection caught from animals.
Amebiasis: An intestinal infection caused by a parasitic amebic organism. It is usually associated with poor sanitation.
Biliary Colic: Colicky pain as a result of gallstones blocking the gallbladder.
Biliary colic: Colicky pain as a result of gallstones blocking the gallbladder.
Biliary disorder: Any condition affecting the bile ducts
Cholecystitis: Inflammation of the gallbladder which concentrates and stores bile. The condition may occur suddenly (acute) or persist over a longer period of time (chronic).
Cholelithiasis: Is the presence of gallstones in the gallbladder
Clonorchiasis: Infection with the Chinese liver fluke called Clonchorchis sinensis. Infection usually results from ingesting contaminated fish and crayfish. The infection primarily affects the liver as the flukes tend to occupy the biliary ducts of the liver. Recurring infections can cause more severe symptoms. Infection with this fluke is endemic in Asia but can occur occasionally in countries such as the US though the source of contamination is food from Asia.
Congenital hepatic fibrosis: A rare inherited birth disorder characterized by fibrosis (scarring) of the liver which affects its ability to function. The severity of the condition is variable with some patients being symptomatic during infancy while others may be asymptomatic for most of their life.
Fever: Elevation of the body temperature above the normal 37 degrees celsius
Gall bladder conditions: Any condition that affects the gallbladder
Gallstones: Stone-like deposits in the gall bladder.
Hepatitis: Any type of liver inflammation or infection.
Hydatidosis: A parasitic infection caused by a tapeworm larva called echinococci. The type and severity of symptoms is determined by the location of the infestation - the most common site for the larval cysts is the liver. The most common symptoms are due to compression of nearby organs or blood vessels due to increasing size of the cyst. The larva may incubate for months or even years.
Liver abscess: Pus in the liver
Malignant Jaundice: Jaundice due to an obstruction or blockage in one of the bile ducts by a tumor. Bile ducts are vessels which carry bile from the liver to the digestive system or gallbladder.
Malignant obstructive biliary disease: Obstruction or blockage in one of the bile ducts by a tumor. Bile ducts are vessels which carry bile from the liver to the digestive system or gallbladder. Jaundice is usually one of the main symptoms.
Meal symptoms: Symptoms related to meals.
Microsporidiosis: An infectious disease caused by a certain group of protozoa which form spores (microsporidia) e.g. Encephalitozoon, Enterocytozoon, Nosema, Pleistophora, Trachipleistophora, Vittaforma, Enterocytozoon bieneusi, Enterocytozoan )Septata) intestinalis). The protozoa invade and live inside the hosts cells. The release spores into the gastrointestinal tract where they are excreted and can infect other animals. The infection is often asymptomatic in healthy people but can cause serious symptoms affecting various parts of the body in immunocompromised people.
Opisthorchiasis: Infection with a type of fluke (Southeast Asian liver fluke or cat liver fluke). Infection usually occurs by consuming infected undercooked fish. Acute infection may cause fever, joint pain, rash, eosinophilia and lymphadenopathy where as chronic infections may cause enlarged liver, malnutrition. Mild cases can cause constipation, diarrhea and abdominal pain. Occasionally, the infection may be asymptomatic and in the other extreme, severe cases may result in complications such as cholangiocarcinoma.
Pancreatitis: Inflammation of the pancreas causing digestive complaints.
Peptic ulcer / duodenal ulcer:
Primary biliary cirrhosis: Primary biliary cirrhosis is a chronic and progressive cholestatic disease of the liver.
Primary sclerosing cholangitis: Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease of unknown etiology that is recognized increasingly in children.
Sepsis: The presence of pathological micro-organisms in the blood
Shoulder pain: A pain that occurs in the shoulder. There is often other associated symptoms depending on the cause of the shoulder pain. For example, swelling may indicate a broken bone.
Ulcerative colitis: Ulcerative colitis (Colitis ulcerosa, UC) is a form of inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). Ulcerative colitis is a form of colitis, a disease of the intestine, specifically the large intestine or colon, that includes characteristic ulcers, or open sores, in the colon.