aetiology of extrahepatic cholestasis
Last reviewed 01/2023
The cause of obstruction of any hollow organ may be divided into luminal, mural and extramural causes:
- obstruction of the lumen of the bile ducts:
- gall stones
- parasites:
- hydatid disease
- liver fluke
- round worms
- iatrogenic:
- post-T-tube cholangiography
- mural obstruction:
- congenital atresia
- traumatic stricture e.g. ampullary stricture
- sclerosing cholangitis
- cholangiocarcinoma
- extramural obstruction:
- carcinoma of the head of pancreas
- carcinoma of the ampulla of Vater
- pancreatitis
- porta hepatis tumours (often secondary deposits)
- chronic duodenal ulceration
The most common causes are:
- gallstones in the bile duct
- carcinoma of the head of the pancreas