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Sclerosing cholangitis is an inflammation of the bile ducts of the liver without a specified cause.
The bile ducts within and outside the liver become narrowed and scarred. The cause is unknown. The disease is associated with inflammatory bowel disease ( Crohn's disease and ulcerative colitis ), and genetic factors may may also be responsible. The disease is progressive and most patients develop biliary cirrhosis , persistent jaundice , and liver failure. The diagnosis is made, in part, by eliminating other diseases of the biliary system -- for example, by absence of stones in the gallbladder or biliary system. The disease occurs more often in men. This disorder is rare in children.
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