What are the complications of primary sclerosing cholangitis

Condition analysis:
Various complications can occur in some people with PSC. These include:
-- Deficiencies of some vitamins, usually vitamins A, D, E and K. These are the vitamins which are fat-soluble (rather than the other vitamins which are water-soluble). This means they dissolve in fat. Bile helps the fat to be broken down and these vitamins to be absorbed.

-- Infection of the blocked bile ducts. This is called infective cholangitis. This may cause chills, fever and upper tummy (abdominal) tenderness.

-- Cirrhosis - where normal liver tissue is replaced by scar tissue (fibrosis).

-- Liver failure.

-- Bile duct cancer. This eventually affects around 1 in 10 people who have PSC.

Instructions:
The Disorder: When bile ducts become narrowed, bile cannot drain effectively and it can accumulate in the liver and damage liver cells, explains Jackson Siegelbaum Gastroenterology. The ducts may become infected, resulting in fever, chills and tenderness in the upper abdomen. If bile leaks into the bloodstream, itchiness may develop. Disease progression can cause chronic fatigue, loss of appetite, weight loss and jaundice. Long-term liver cell damage can lead to cirrhosis, a hardening of the liver that prevents it from functioning properly.