Acholia

Acholia is the absence of bile in the digestive canal (for example, due to obstruction of the bile ducts) or its insufficient production.

Bile is produced in the liver and is necessary for the digestion of fats. With acholia, bile does not enter the intestines, which leads to impaired absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K).

Causes of acholia:

1. Congenital defects of the bile ducts.

2. Blockage of the ducts of gallstones.

3. Inflammation of the gallbladder and ducts (cholecystitis, cholangitis).

4. Tumors of the biliary tract.

5. Injury to the bile ducts.

6. Impaired bile production in liver diseases.

The main symptoms of acholia: diarrhea, steatorrhea (excretion of fat in feces), deficiency of vitamins A, D, E, K.

Diagnostics includes blood tests, ultrasound, MRI, endoscopy of the biliary tract. Treatment depends on the cause and may include surgery, bile administration, and replacement therapy. In case of complete acholia, liver transplantation is indicated.

Acholia is the absence of bile in the digestive canal (for example, due to obstruction of the bile ducts) or its insufficient production.

Bile plays an important role in digestion, so its absence or deficiency leads to disturbances in the digestion and absorption of fats and fat-soluble vitamins.

The main causes of acholia:

1. Congenital defects in the development of the bile ducts (bile duct atresia)

2. Inflammatory diseases of the biliary tract (cholangitis)

3. Tumors of the head of the pancreas or bile ducts

4. Biliary tract injuries

5. Postoperative cicatricial strictures of the bile ducts

The main symptoms of acholia:

1. Discolored stool (white stool due to lack of bile pigments)

2. Fatty stools and steatorrhea (undigested fat in stool)

3. Deficiency of fat-soluble vitamins (A, D, E, K)

4. Itching and jaundice with elevated bilirubin levels

Diagnosis is based on blood tests, ultrasound, MRI/CT of the abdominal organs. Treatment depends on the cause and may include surgical correction, medications, and replacement therapy.

First, a little information to understand what acholia is. Acholia is a condition in which the formation and secretion of bile, a colorless liquid contained in the gallbladder of the liver, necessary for the breakdown of fats, is disrupted. At first glance it sounds scary, but you shouldn’t be afraid, because violations of this property of bile occur much less frequently.