Posts Tagged ‘biliary’

What is (are) Gallstones?

What is (are) Gallstones? Gallstones are lumps or stones that develop in the gallbladder or bile duct. Some of the chemicals which exist in the gallbladder, such as cholesterol, calcium bilirubinate, and calcium carbonate, harden into either one large stone or many small ones. According to Medilexicon’s medical dictionary, a gallstone is “A concretion in…

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Tumors of the Liver and Biliary System

Tumors of the Liver and Biliary System The liver filters both arterial and portal venous blood and thus is a major site for the spread of metastatic cancers, particularly those that originate in the abdomen. Metastatic liver tumors can develop after the primary tumor has been identified, or patients can present initially with the signs…

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Primary Biliary Cirrhosis – A MUST read!

What is PBC? Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a chronic (long duration) disease characterized by progressive inflammation and destruction of the small bile ducts within the liver. What are the bile ducts and what do they do? Lined with cells named biliary epithelial cells, the bile ducts are tubules that make up a plumbing system…

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Primary Biliary Cirrhosis – A Good Introduction

Primary Biliary Cirrhosis Primary biliary cirrhosis (PBC) is a condition that slowly damages the bile ducts in the liver. In time, the flow of bile is restricted and bile builds up in the liver. This damages liver cells which in some cases leads to cirrhosis (scarring of the liver). Common early symptoms are itch and…

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Itching with Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

Itching with PBC Just about as common as fatigue in PBC, itching (pruritus) of the skin affects 66% of patients at some time during the disease. The itching tends to occur early in the course of the disease, when patients still have good liver function. As a matter of fact, itching can even be the…

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Diana wants to end stigma around liver disease

Diana with PBC Many people associate the word “cirrhosis” with alcoholism. But not all forms of the condition are caused by excessive drinking, as Diana Gurr would like to point out. The 52-year-old from Beacon Heath, Exeter, suffers from primary biliary cirrhosis, a rare, chronic, liver disease, with no known cause. Cirrhosis, which means damage…

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Consortium Finds Chronic Liver Cirrhosis Clues

Consortium Finds Chronic Liver Cirrhosis Clues Researchers have provided new clues into the genetics underlying a chronic form of liver disease, called primary biliary cirrhosis, which can lead to transplant surgery for patients. The new study identifies 15 genetic regions that affect a person’s risk of developing the disease, more than trebling the number of…

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