What doctor treats primary sclerosing cholangitis?

If your doctor suspects you may have primary sclerosing cholangitis, you may be referred to a liver specialist (gastroenterologist or hepatologist).

What is the treatment for PSC?

There is no known treatment to stop or slow down PSC. Your healthcare provider can treat symptoms with medicines to relieve itching and treat infection. He or she can also sometimes open the ducts in your liver if they become blocked. You may need to take vitamin supplements as well.

How long can you live with primary sclerosing cholangitis?

What is the prognosis and life expectancy for a person with primary sclerosing cholangitis? Aside from liver transplantation, there are no effective treatments for PSC. In the US, studies suggest that life expectancy ranges from 9 to 18 years if the patient does not undergo liver transplantation.

What is stage1 PSC?

Ludwig and associates described 4 stages of PSC, as follows: Stage 1: Portal hepatitis, degeneration of bile ducts with inflammatory cell infiltrate. Stage 2: Extension of disease to periportal area with prominent bile ductopenia. Stage 3: Septal fibrosis and necrosis. Stage 4: Frank cirrhosis.

What should not eat in PSC?

What should I avoid eating if I have PSC? You should avoid eating raw shellfish such as oysters, which can have bacteria that may cause severe infections in people with liver disease. Your doctor may recommend that you avoid foods that are high in salt, fat, and carbohydrates, especially those with added sugars.

Can you drink alcohol if you have primary sclerosing cholangitis?

There were no correlations between elastography values and intake of alcohol (units/year) (r = -0.036). Conclusion: PSC patients have low alcohol consumption. The lack of correlation between fibrosis and alcohol intake indicates that a low alcohol intake is safe in these patients.

What are the stages of PSC?

One main staging system for PSC has been devised. Ludwig et al (33) described four stages of PSC: cholangitis or portal hepatitis (stage 1); periportal fibrosis or periportal hepatitis (stage 2); septal fibrosis, bridging necrosis or both (stage 3); and biliary cirrhosis (stage 4).

Can you live a full life with PSC?

There is no one size fits all for PSC Many people live a normal life with few or no symptoms, while others do progress to having advanced liver disease.

How fast does PSC progress?

The average time from the PSC diagnosis to liver transplant or death ranges between 9 and 18 years; however, it is strongly dependent on specific patient characteristics and the overall number of performed liver transplants.

Can you drink alcohol if you have PSC?

Conclusion: PSC patients have low alcohol consumption. The lack of correlation between fibrosis and alcohol intake indicates that a low alcohol intake is safe in these patients.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ycDfF0EJssY