What is biliary stricture?

What is biliary stricture?

Biliary stricture, also known as bile duct stricture, occurs when the bile duct gets smaller or narrower. The bile duct is the tube that takes bile from the liver to the small bowel. Bile is a substance that helps in digestion of fatty food and excreting (getting rid of) harmful substances.

When the bile duct becomes narrow, it makes it difficult for bile to pass from the liver to the small bowel. This reduction in bile to the small bowel leads to difficulty in digesting food, especially fatty food. When bile is not excreted, it builds up in the body and causes several symptoms.

Patients with mild biliary strictures may not show any symptoms, but the stricture causes abnormalities in the blood and a rise in some of the liver enzymes. When the stricture becomes more pronounced, symptoms start to develop.