Common Name(s):
Bile Duct Cancer
Alternative Names & Classifications:
Primary Biliary Cholangitis (CLINICAL)
Description
The immune system launches a highly targeted attack against the delicate epithelial cells lining the intrahepatic bile ducts, causing them to collapse entirely. As the biological plumbing fails, highly toxic bile acids back up directly into the liver tissues, causing massive chemical scarring and inflammation. It almost exclusively affects middle-aged women, inevitably leading to end-stage cirrhosis and the need for a liver transplant.