Cholestasis (patient information)
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What is Cholestasis?
Cholestasis is any condition in which the flow of bile from the liver is blocked.
What are the symptoms of Cholestasis?
Symptoms of Cholestasis may include:
- Clay-colored or white stools
- Dark urine
- Inability to digest certain foods
- Itching
- Nausea or vomiting
- Pain in the right upper part of the abdomen
- Yellow skin or eyes
What are the causes of Cholestasis?
There are many causes of cholestasis.
Extrahepatic cholestasis occurs outside the liver. It can be caused by:
- Bile duct tumors
- Cysts
- Narrowing of the bile duct (strictures)
- Stones in the common bile duct
- Pancreatitis
- Pancreatic tumor or pseudocyst
- Pressure on an organ due to a nearby mass or tumor
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis
Intrahepatic cholestasis occurs inside the liver. It can be caused by:
- Alcoholic liver disease
- Amyloidosis
- Bacterial abscess in the liver
- Being fed through a vein (IV)
- Lymphoma
- Pregnancy
- Primary biliary cirrhosis
- Primary sclerosing cholangitis
- Sarcoidosis
- Serious infections that have spread through the bloodstream (sepsis)
- Tuberculosis
- Viral hepatitis
- Sjogren syndrome
Certain medications can also cause cholestasis.
Who is at risk for Cholestasis?
How to know you have Cholestasis?
When to seek urgent medical care
Treatment options
Diseases with similar symptoms
Where to find medical care for Cholestasis
Directions to Hospitals Treating Cholestasis