cholangiohepatitis

cholangiohepatitis

[kō·lan′jē·ōhep′ə·tī′tis]

Etymology: Gk, chole, bile + angeion, vessel + hepar, liver + -itis, inflammation

severe inflammation of the bile passages, often associated with liver fluke infestation that causes obstruction of the bile ducts.

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cholangiohepatitis

inflammation of the biliary system and, by extension, of the periportal hepatic parenchyma. In large animals, it is nearly always the result of parasitic infestation, sometimes complicated by the presence of bacteria; sporidesmin, the toxin of Pithomyces chartarum, causes a specific cholangiohepatitis. Crystal-associated cholangiohepatopathy has a similar pathogenesis. Primary bacterial cholangiohepatitis is uncommon in animals. In cats, a cholangiohepatitis of unknown etiology occurs, often in association with a low-grade interstitial pancreatitis.