Primary Biliary Cirrhosis

What Is Primary Biliary Cirrhosis?

Primary biliary cirrhosis is a liver disease which affects the bile ducts. To understand what primary biliary cirrhosis is, you have to know a little about what the bile ducts are and the role they play in liver health.

Bile is a fluid produced in your liver which aids in the digestion of fats and also helps rid your body of worn-out red blood cells, cholesterol and toxins.

A bile duct is a tube that carries bile from the liver to the gallbladder and then to the small intestine.

When you have primary biliary cirrhosis, your bile ducts are slowly destroyed for reasons that are not yet completely clear to medical science. When bile ducts are compromised in this way, toxic substances are not removed from the liver. These substances build up and cause liver tissue damage, mostly through scarring. This scarring process is known as cirrhosis.

As mentioned above, the exact cause or causes of primary biliary cirrhosis remain unknown. But researchers belive it may be an autoimmune disease. However, genetic and environmental factors probably come into play.

Primary biliary cirrhosis develops slowly, and its progress can be slowed by medications. This is especially true if it is diagnosed early.

Symptoms of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis In the early stages of primary biliary cirrhosis, there may be no symptoms at all. But if symptoms do appear, they're likely to include

• generalized fatigue,
• itching that affects the arms, legs and back, and
• dry eyes and mouth (also known as sicca syndrome).

Symptoms are more likely to appear in the later stages of the disease, including

• jaundice, or yellowing of the skin and eyes,
• hyperpigmentation, or skin darkening,
• swelling of the feet (edema) and abdomen (ascites),
• digestive problems.

Treatment of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis Currently there is no cure for primary biliary cirrhosis. But certain treatment procedures can slow the progress of the disease and relieve discomfort of some symptoms.

A medication called ursodeoxycholic acid (UDCA, ursodiol or Actigall) may prolong life if it is administered in the early stages.

When treatments don't work, liver failure may occur. In such instances, a liver transplant may be the best available option for prolonging life.

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