Cholestasis is any condition in which the flow of bile from the liver is blocked.

There are many causes of cholestasis.

Extrahepatic cholestasis -- which occurs outside the liver -- can be caused by bile duct tumors, strictures, cysts, diverticulitis, and other damage. Other potential causes for this type include stones in the common bile duct, pancreatitis, pancreatic tumor or pseudocyst, primary sclerosing cholangitis, and compression due to a mass or tumor on a nearby organ. Other causes may exist.

Intrahepatic cholestasis -- which occurs inside the liver -- can be caused by sepsis, bacterial abscess, drugs, being fed by an IV, lymphoma, tuberculosis, sarcoidosis, and amyloidosis. Other causes of this form of the disorder include primary biliary cirrhosis, primary sclerosing cholangitis, viral hepatitis, alcoholic liver disease, pregnancy, Sjogren syndrome, and others.

Please refer to drug-induced cholestasis for further information on medications which may cause this problem.

• Itching
• Jaundiced (yellow) skin or eyes
• Inability to digest certain foods
• Nausea, vomiting
• Right upper quadrant abdominal pain
• Organ failure in cases of sepsis (but not from cholestasis itself)
• Rash or fever in some cases of drug-induced cholestasis
• Clay-colored or white stools
• Dark urine

Tests that can help diagnose this condition include:

Ultrasound

CT scan

MRI

Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) (can also determine cause)

Blood tests may show higher than normal levels of bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase.