Secondary sclerosing cholangitis
 | This article may be too technical for most readers to understand. (September 2015) |
| Secondary sclerosing cholangitis | |
|---|---|
| Other names | SSC |
| Specialty | Hepatology |
| Differential diagnosis | Primary sclerosing cholangitis |
Secondary sclerosing cholangitis (SSC) is a chronic cholestatic liver disease. SSC is a sclerosing cholangitis with a known cause. Alternatively, if no cause can be identified, then primary sclerosing cholangitis is diagnosed. SSC is an aggressive and rare disease with complex and multiple causes. It is characterized by inflammation, fibrosis, destruction of the biliary tree and biliary cirrhosis. It can be treated with minor interventions such as continued antibiotic use and monitoring, or in more serious cases, laparoscopic surgery intervention, and possibly a liver transplant.
Cause
SSC is thought to develop as a consequence of known injuries or pathological processes of the biliary tree, such as biliary obstruction, surgical trauma to the bile duct, or ischemic injury to the biliary tree. Secondary causes of SSC include
Diagnosis
SSC is clinically related to
Treatment
First lines of treatment can include mass spectrum antibiotics or drainage of the bile duct that is infected followed by close monitoring.[7] Endoscopic surgery is favored over open procedures to reduce infection and quicker recovery times. If these fail a liver transplant may be necessary.[citation needed]