Causes, Risk Factors, And Complications Of Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Enlarged Spleen

Primary biliary cholangitis can cause the accumulation of scar tissue in the liver. These fibrous tissues do not allow for the portal vein to accommodate a sufficient amount of blood that comes from the intestine, pancreas, and spleen. As stated previously, this mechanism causes the patient to develop portal hypertension, which causes blood flow congestion in the portal vein. When blood cannot move through the portal vein properly, it backs up into the organs it is coming from. One of the organs that receive blood from the aorta and sends it back to the heart via the portal vein is the spleen. The spleen belongs to the lymphatic and immune systems and is responsible for filtering blood and storing blood cells. The spleen also produces white blood cells that help fight off pathogens like the ones that cause meningitis and pneumonia. When blood backs up in the spleen, it causes the organ to swell and become enlarged.

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