A damaged gallbladder is thick-walled, contracted, and small. The walls consist largely of fibrous material. The lining inside the gallbladder may be ulcerated and scarred, and the gallbladder contains sludge or gallstones that often obstruct the cystic duct. This condition is probably caused by the damage and repeated repair of previous episodes of acute inflammation, often from gallstones. Bile Duct Tumors Aside from gallstones, cancer is the most common cause of bile duct obstruction.
Most cancers originate in the head of the pancreas, which the common bile duct runs through.
Less commonly, cancers originate in the biliary tract itself at the junction of the common bile duct and the pancreatic duct, in the gallbladder, or in the liver. The symptoms of bile duct obstruction are jaundice, abdominal discomfort, loss of appetite, weight loss, and itching, usually without fever and chills. Symptoms gradually worsen.