Ascending cholangitis: Difference between revisions
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*Also known as "ascending cholangitis" | *Also known as "ascending cholangitis" | ||
*Requires the presence of biliary obstruction and infected biliary tract | *Requires the presence of biliary obstruction and infected biliary tract | ||
===Causes=== | |||
*Choledocholithiasis | |||
*Biliary tract stricture | |||
*Compression by malignant disease | |||
==Clinical Features== | ==Clinical Features== | ||
Revision as of 04:53, 21 May 2015
Background
- Also known as "ascending cholangitis"
- Requires the presence of biliary obstruction and infected biliary tract
Causes
- Choledocholithiasis
- Biliary tract stricture
- Compression by malignant disease
Clinical Features
- Charcot's Triad: Fever + jaundice + RUQ pain
- Occurs in ~50%
- Reynold's Pentad: The triad + AMS + hypotension
- Occurs in <5%
- Hypotension may be the only presenting sign in elderly patients
Differential Diagnosis
RUQ Pain
- Gallbladder disease
- Pancreatitis
- Acute hepatitis
- Pancreatitis
- GERD
- Appendicitis (retrocecal)
- Pyogenic liver abscess
- Bowel obstruction
- Cirrhosis
- Budd-Chiari syndrome
- GU
- Other
- Hepatomegaly due to CHF
- Peptic ulcer disease with or without perforation
- Pneumonia
- Herpes zoster
- Myocardial ischemia
- Pulmonary embolism
- Abdominal aortic aneurysm
Diagnosis
- Labs
- Leukocytosis with neutrophil predominance
- Elevated alk phos, conj. bilirubin
- Blood culture is indicated
- Imaging
- RUQ Ultrasound
- Dilatation of CBD ( > 6mm) and presence of choledocholithiasis
- May miss small CBD stones and in acute cases CBD may not have had time to dilate
- RUQ Ultrasound
- ERCP
- Should be obtained to confirm the diagnosis and to intervene
Management
- Aggressive volume replacement
- Broad-spectrum parenteral antibiotics covering gram negatives, gram positives, and anerobes
- Emergent ERCP