A biliary stricture is an abnormal narrowing of the common bile duct, the tube that moves bile (a substance that helps with digestion) from the liver to the small intestine.

Bile duct stricture

A biliary stricture is often caused by surgical injury to the bile ducts. For example, it may occur after surgery to remove the gallbladder.

Other causes of this condition include:

• Cancer of the bile duct
• Damage and scarring due to a gallstone in the bile duct
• Pancreatitis
• Primary sclerosing cholangitis

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

Images

Bile pathway

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Biliary stricture Symptoms

Review Date: 05/23/2010
Reviewed By: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc., and George F Longstreth, MD, Department of Gastroenterology, Kaiser Permanente Medical Care Program, San Diego, California.

A.D.A.M., Inc. is accredited by URAC, also known as the American Accreditation HealthCare Commission (www.urac.org)