Health A-Z

Medical Content Created by the Faculty of the
Harvard Medical School

Bile Duct Diseases

Symptoms

Symptoms of a blocked bile duct may be abrupt and severe (for example, when a gallstone blocks the whole drainage system all at once), or they may appear slowly many years after bile duct inflammation started. Bile duct diseases cause some symptoms when waste products build up in the body. Other symptoms result from the bile ducts' failure to deliver certain digestive juices (bile salts) to the intestines, preventing the absorption of some fats and vitamins. Symptoms of a blocked bile duct include:

• Yellowing of the skin (jaundice) or eyes (icterus), from the buildup of a waste product called bilirubin

• Itching (not limited to one area; may be worse at night or in warm weather)

• Light brown urine

• Fatigue

• Weight loss

• Fever or night sweats

• Abdominal pain, especially common on the right side under the rib cage

• Greasy or clay-colored stools

• A diminished appetite