Symptoms Of Primary Biliary Cholangitis

Ascites

Ascites in an individual can indicate they are being affected by primary biliary cholangitis. Ascites is a medical term used to describe the accumulation of ascitic or protein-containing fluid in an individual's abdomen. Ascites occurs as a result of portal hypertension, which is high blood pressure in the vein that moves blood from the intestines, gallbladder, pancreas, stomach, and spleen to the liver. Cirrhosis of the liver is the mechanism that precipitates portal hypertension in primary biliary cholangitis patients. Fluid leaks from the intestine surface, liver surface, and out of the blood vessels as a homeostatic response to mediate high blood pressure. Levels of albumin in the blood fall as it leaks out of the blood vessels, which causes further leakage of fluid into abdominal tissues. The result of this fluid build-up is the visible enlargement of the abdomen and feelings of fullness, shortness of breath, and loss of appetite. These symptoms are common with ascites because the excess fluid causes the organs in the abdominal cavity to become compressed.

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