7th December, 2020 • 1 min read

Acute cholangitis: causes and treatment

Medical reviewer:
Dr Ann Nainan
Dr Ann Nainan
Author:
Dr Lauretta Ihonor
Dr Lauretta Ihonor
Last reviewed: 01/12/2020
Medically reviewed

All of Healthily's articles undergo medical safety checks to verify that the information is medically safe. View more details in our safety page, or read our editorial policy.

Acute cholangitis is an inflammation of the bile ducts that’s usually caused by a bacterial infection when bile can’t flow through the ducts as normal.

Different things can stop bile from flowing as normal, but the most common cause is stones in your bile duct.

If you have acute cholangitis, you may have pain and tenderness in the upper right side of your tummy, fever and yellowing of your skin and the whites of your eyes (known as jaundice).

How is acute cholangitis diagnosed?

To diagnose acute cholangitis, a doctor will usually ask about your symptoms and any medical conditions you have or have had in the past. They will often also do a physical examination.

You may also need tests, including:

  • blood tests – to check your liver function and for infection
  • imaging tests – usually an ultrasound scan

How is acute cholangitis treated?

You will usually need antibiotics to treat acute cholangitis. In some cases, you may also need to have your bile ducts drained, using a special type of imaging procedure (called endoscopic retrograde cholangio-pancreatography [ERCP]) or an operation.

Was this article helpful?
Article information
Last reviewed:
01 December 2020
Next review:
01 December 2023
Medical reviewer:
Dr Ann Nainan
Author:
Dr Lauretta Ihonor

We include references at the end of every article, so you know where we get our facts. We only ever take evidence from medically-recognised sources, approved by the UK National Health Service's The Information Standard, or certified by Health On the Net (HON). When we talk about popular health trends or claims, we'll always tell you if there's very little or no evidence to back them up. Our medical team also checks our sources, making sure they're appropriate and that we've interpreted the science correctly.

Important: Our website provides useful information but is not a substitute for medical advice. You should always seek the advice of your doctor when making decisions about your health.