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Biliary stricture

Definition:

Biliary stricture is an abnormal narrowing of the biliary duct, the tube that moves bile (a chemical used in digestion) from the liver to the small intestine.

Alternative Names:

Bile duct stricture

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Biliary strictures are often caused by surgical injury to the bile ducts, for example, after surgery to remove the gallbladder (cholecystectomy).

Other causes of this condition are pancreatitis , breakdown of the duct by a gallstone in the bile duct , primary sclerosing cholangitis , and cancer of the bile duct.

Risk factors include previous biliary surgery , pancreatitis, cholelithiasis , or injury to the intestine.

Bile pathway

Bile pathway

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