Skip to Content
800-533-8762
  • Careers
  • Newsroom
  • Health Care Professionals
  • About Us
  • Contact Us
UPMC
  • Find a Doctor
  • Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
    • Frequently Searched Services
      Allergy & Immunology Behavioral & Mental Health Cancer Ear, Nose & Throat Endocrinology Gastroenterology Heart & Vascular Imaging Neurosciences Orthopaedics
      Physical Rehabilitation Plastic & Reconstructive Surgery Primary Care Senior Services Sports Medicine Telemedicine Transplant Surgery Walk-In Care Weight Management Women’s Health
      See all Services
    • Services by Region
    • Find a UPMC health care facility close to you quickly by browsing by region.
      UPMC in Western Pa. Western Pa. and New York
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Services
  • Locations
    • Locations by Type
    • Locations by Type
      UPMC hospitals
      Hospitals
      Physical Therapy
      Physical Therapy
      Urgent care
      Walk-In Care
      UPMC Outpatient Centers
      Outpatient Centers
      UPMC Imaging Services
      Imaging
      Community Health Centers
      Community Health Centers
      See All Locations
    • Locations by Region
    • Locations by Region
      UPMC in Southwest Pa. Southwest Pa.
      UPMC in North Central Pa. North Central Pa.
      UPMC in Northwest Pa and Ny. Northwest Pa. & Western N.Y.
      UPMC in West Central Pa. West Central Pa.
      UPMC in Central Pa. Central Pa.
      UPMC in Western Md. Maryland & West Virginia
    • See All Locations
  • Patients & Visitors
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
      Patients and Visitors Resources Pay a Bill Classes & Events Medical Records Health Library Patient Information
      Patient Portals Privacy Information Shared Decision Making Traveling Patients Visitor Information
      Man uses mobile phone
      Pay a Bill
      Nurse reviews medical chart
      Request Medical Records
  • Patient Portals
  • Find Covid-19 updates
  • Schedule an appointment
  • Request medical records
  • Pay a bill
  • Learn about financial assistance
  • Find classes & events
  • Send a patient an eCard
  • Make a donation
  • Volunteer
  • Read HealthBeat blog
  • Explore UPMC Careers
Skip to Content
UPMC
  • Patient Portals
  • For Patients & Visitors
    • Find a Doctor
    • Locations
    • Patient & Visitor Resources
    • Pay a Bill
    • Services
    • More
      • Medical Records
      • Financial Assistance
      • Classes & Events
      • HealthBeat Blog
      • Health Library
  • About UPMC
    • Why UPMC
    • Facts & Stats
    • Supply Chain Management
    • Community Commitment
    • More
      • Financials
      • Support UPMC
      • UPMC Apps
      • UPMC Enterprises
      • UPMC International
  • For Health Care Professionals
    • Physician Information
    • Resources
    • Education & Training
    • Departments
    • Credentialing
  • Careers
  • Contact Us
  • Newsroom
  • UPMC >
  • Our Services >
  • UPMC Digestive Health Care >
  • ... >
  • Services We Offer >
  • Center for Liver Care >
  • Conditions We Treat >
  • Autoimmune Liver Diseases >
  • Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC)
UPMC Digestive Health Care
About Us
Services We Offer
Center for Liver Care
Conditions We Treat
Autoimmune Liver Diseases
Autoimmune Hepatitis
Primary Biliary Cholangitis
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC)
Chronic Liver Conditions
Cirrhosis and Complications
Genetic Liver Diseases
Hepatitis C
Liver Cancer
What to Expect
Specialty Services
UPMC Liver Steatosis and Metabolic Wellness Program
Our Experts
Our Locations
Contact Us
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center
Center for Intestinal Health and Nutrition Support
UPMC Center for Women's GI Health
Gastroenterology Associates–UPMC
Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention & Treatment Center
Neurogastroenterology and Motility Center
Pancreas Center of Excellence
Conditions We Treat
Research Programs
Contact Us
Patient Information
Telemedicine
Our Locations
UPMC Digestive Health Care
About Us
Services We Offer
Center for Liver Care
Conditions We Treat
Autoimmune Liver Diseases
Autoimmune Hepatitis
Primary Biliary Cholangitis
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC)
Chronic Liver Conditions
Cirrhosis and Complications
Genetic Liver Diseases
Hepatitis C
Liver Cancer
What to Expect
Specialty Services
UPMC Liver Steatosis and Metabolic Wellness Program
Our Experts
Our Locations
Contact Us
Inflammatory Bowel Disease Center
Center for Intestinal Health and Nutrition Support
UPMC Center for Women's GI Health
Gastroenterology Associates–UPMC
Gastrointestinal Cancer Prevention & Treatment Center
Neurogastroenterology and Motility Center
Pancreas Center of Excellence
Conditions We Treat
Research Programs
Contact Us
Patient Information
Telemedicine
Our Locations

Chat Keywords List

  • cancel or exit: Stops your conversation
  • start over: Restarts your current scenario
  • help: Shows what this bot can do
  • terms: Shows terms of use and privacy statement
  • feedback: Give us feedback
Continue
Chat with UPMC
RESTART
MENU
CLOSE

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC)

Contact the UPMC Center for Liver Care

To make an appointment, call 412-647-1170 or fill out our appointment request form.


  • Overview
  • Symptoms and Diagnosis
  • Treatment

What Is Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC)?

PSC is a chronic disease in which your bile ducts and liver get inflamed and swollen.

Over time, the bile ducts harden and become blocked causing bile to build up in the liver. This causes liver damage and can even lead to liver failure.

Damage can occur quickly or over many years, and doctors can't reverse it. Your doctor will focus on slowing down liver damage for as long as possible.

PSC is a relatively rare disease.

About 1 in 10,000 people have PSC. Doctors diagnose this disease in about 1 in 100,000 people per year worldwide.

Primary sclerosing cholangitis causes

Doctors don't know exactly what causes PSC.

The disease likely comes from an unknown combination of genetics and environment. This means your genes may make you at risk of getting the disease.

PSC risk factors and complications

PSC affects at least twice as many men as women. Most people with this disease receive their diagnosis sometime between the ages of 30 and 50.

About 3 out of 4 people with PSC also have inflammatory bowel disease. This is most often ulcerative colitis, a severe inflammation of the intestines that causes ulcers and stomach pain.

People with PSC also:

  • Are more likely to have an autoimmune disorder like type 1 diabetes. But the reason for this connection remains unclear.
  • Have a greater risk for bile duct cancer.
  • May develop osteoporosis, a thinning of the bones that leaves them prone to fractures. That's because, without adequate bile, the body can't digest fat-soluble vitamin D, which helps protect bones.

Left untreated, PSC can lead to liver failure.

How to prevent primary sclerosing cholangitis

Doctors can't currently prevent someone from getting PSC.

This might change in the future if they can decode the genetics of this disease.

Why choose UPMC's Center for Liver Care for primary sclerosing cholangitis care?

PSC is a serious chronic condition for which there is no cure. That means you will be dealing with the effects of this disease for decades.

UPMC's liver disease experts can help you slow the progression of your disease.

If your PSC leads to liver failure, you will need a liver transplant. Our experts partner closely with UPMC's world-renowned liver transplant. UPMC is 1 of the oldest and most skilled transplant centers in the country.

Also, UPMC is a national leader in living-donor liver transplants. By identifying a living donor, you may be able to receive a transplant sooner.

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) Symptoms and Diagnosis

Even though PSC is a serious disease. Many people who have it don't have symptoms right away.

As the disease worsens, symptoms can come and go.

PSC symptoms

Symptoms of PSC include:

  • Pain in the upper right part of the belly.
  • Extreme itching.
  • Unexplained weight loss.
  • Yellowed skin or eyes known as jaundice.
  • Fatigue.
  • Chills.
  • Night sweats.

See your doctor if you have these symptoms. They could have many causes, so expect your doctor to run a range of tests to confirm a diagnosis.

Diagnosing primary sclerosing cholangitis

Doctors may suspect PSC when routine blood tests have abnormal results, even if you don't have symptoms.

Your doctor will order tests to help diagnose PSC, including:

  • Blood tests.
  • MRI scans.
  • Endoscopy — using a scope to see inside a person's digestive system.
  • Endoscopic ultrasound and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP). This combines endoscopy with dye and X-ray technology to view the bile ducts.
  • FibroScan® — a noninvasive liver ultrasound to determine how much fibrosis your liver has.
  • Liver biopsy — surgery to remove a small piece of liver to look at it under a microscope.

Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis (PSC) Treatment

If you have PSC, your doctor will:

  • Track your liver health closely to find and treat any new problem right away.
  • Treat any infections and manage symptoms like pain or jaundice.

Lifestyle changes to treat PSC

Lifestyle changes to help manage PSC include:

  • Avoiding alcohol.
  • Quitting smoking.
  • Maintaining a healthy weight.
  • Eating a variety of fruits, veggies, and whole grains.
  • Getting vaccines for hepatitis A and B.

Medicine to treat primary sclerosing cholangitis

People with PSC are prone to getting liver-related infections. Your doctor will prescribe antibiotics in this case.

Your doctor will also help you manage pain if needed.

Surgery to treat PSC

If your bile ducts become blocked, your doctor may need to do minor surgery.

Types of surgery to open the ducts so that bile will no longer build up in your liver include:

  • Endoscopy: using a scope to open the bile ducts.
  • Esophageal variceal banding: wrapping a small band around blood vessels in the liver to prevent internal bleeding.
  • Paracentesis: withdrawing extra fluid through the abdominal wall using a hollow needle.
  • Thoracentesis: using a needle to withdraw fluid from the chest or lungs.
  • Transjugular intrahepatic portosystemic shunt (TIPS): inserting a small coil or stent into a vein in the liver. TIPS reduces liver hypertension or the risk of bleeding.

If PSC causes severe cirrhosis or liver failure, you may need a liver transplant. Transplant provides the only known cure for PSC.

We work closely with the experts at UPMC Liver Transplant Services and guide you through each of the liver transplant process.

UPMC
200 Lothrop Street Pittsburgh, PA 15213

412-647-8762 800-533-8762

Patients And Visitors
  • Find a Doctor
  • Locations
  • Pay a Bill
  • Patient & Visitor Resources
  • Disabilities Resource Center
  • Services
  • Medical Records
  • No Surprises Act
  • Price Transparency
  • Financial Assistance
  • Classes & Events
  • Health Library
Health Care Professionals
  • Physician Information
  • Resources
  • Education & Training
  • Departments
  • Credentialing
Newsroom
  • Newsroom Home
  • Inside Life Changing Medicine Blog
  • News Releases
About
  • Why UPMC
  • Facts & Stats
  • Supply Chain Management
  • Community Commitment
  • Financials
  • Supporting UPMC
  • HealthBeat Blog
  • UPMC Apps
  • UPMC Enterprises
  • UPMC Health Plan
  • UPMC International
  • Nondiscrimination Policy
Life changing is...
Follow UPMC
  • Contact Us
  • Website/Email Terms of Use
  • Medical Advice Disclaimer
  • Privacy Information
  • Active Privacy Alerts
  • Sitemap
© 2025 UPMC I Affiliated with the University of Pittsburgh Schools of the Health Sciences Supplemental content provided by Healthwise, Incorporated. To learn more, visit healthwise.org
Find Care
Providers
Video Visit
Portal Login