Cholestasis

Cholestasis is impaired formation or flow of bile from the liver. It causes bile components to accumulate in the liver or enter the bloodstream instead of reaching the intestine normally.

Bile acid: A steroid-derived molecule that helps digest and absorb dietary fats and is mostly recycled through the liver and intestine. Bile acid retention is a defining feature of many forms of cholestasis.
Intrahepatic cholestasis: Cholestasis caused by impaired bile formation or flow within the liver. This pattern localizes the disturbance to liver cells or small intrahepatic channels.
Jaundice: Yellow discoloration of the skin and eyes caused by increased bilirubin in tissues. Cholestasis can raise bilirubin when bile pigments cannot be excreted normally.
Hepatocellular injury: Liver-cell damage that produces a blood-test pattern dominated by aminotransferase elevations. It contrasts with cholestasis, where alkaline phosphatase is often more prominently elevated.
Bile canaliculus: A narrow channel between adjacent liver cells that collects bile and carries it toward the bile ducts. Impaired secretion into these channels can produce intrahepatic cholestasis.
Extrahepatic cholestasis: Cholestasis caused by impaired bile flow in ducts outside the liver. This pattern points to blockage or disease in larger downstream bile ducts.
Pruritus: An unpleasant sensation of itch that provokes a desire to scratch. Retained bile-related substances can cause severe itching, sometimes before jaundice appears.
Hepatitis: Inflammation of the liver caused by infections, immune reactions, toxins, or other injuries. Hepatitis may impair bile flow, but its primary feature is liver inflammation.
Bile duct: A tube that carries bile from the liver toward the gallbladder and small intestine. Obstruction within these ducts can prevent bile from leaving the liver.
Primary biliary cholangitis: A chronic autoimmune disease that damages the small bile ducts inside the liver. It is a characteristic chronic cause of intrahepatic cholestasis.

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