Caroli Disease: Liver Abnormalities

Considered the most common cause of childhood liver transplants, Caroli Disease is an inherited complication of the liver bile ducts failing to develop or developed abnormally most often as adilation, or widening, of the ducts.Considered a disorder of the digestive tract, Caroli Disease can lead to significant health complications as the bile, created in the liver, is unable to pass, correctly, from the liver to the gall bladder and then into the the intestines. The following is an overview of the symptoms of Caroli Disease, methods for diagnosing and treatment options.

Individuals suffering from Caroli Disease will commonly suffer complications associated with the liverdisorders. Such complications might include yellowing of the skin and eyes, nausea and vomiting, nose bleeds, fatigue, lack of energy and even decrease in appetite. For many of these individuals, without proper diagnosis, the condition may be dismissed as jaundice, a temporaryabnormality of the liver.

Diagnosing Caroli Disease can be achieved through a non-invasive study called Magnetic Resonance Cholangiopancreatography (MRCP). During the MRCP procedure, an MRI study is completed with focus on the pancreas and biliary tractsand emphasis on the liver ducts leading to and away from the organs. It is during this non-invasive procedure that diagnosing of Caroli Disease can be confirmed. For many patients, Caroli Disease is not diagnosed until later into life, commonly in the early 20's, at which point the condition is progressed and requires surgical intervention. Prior to reaching age 20, many individuals, suffering from Caroli Disease, are unsure as to what the origin of the symptoms may be. Upon completion of an MRCP, Caroli Disease is confirmed with 99 percent certainty in the results.