symptoms of cholangitis
Primary sclerosing cholangitis is often diagnosed before symptoms appear when a routine blood test or an X-ray taken for an unrelated condition shows liver abnormalities. Early symptoms often include: 1  Fatigue. 2  Itching.
A person with cholangitis may complain of abdominal pain (particularly in the right upper quadrant of the abdomen), fever, rigors (uncontrollable shaking) and a feeling of uneasiness (malaise). Some may report jaundice (yellow discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes). Physical examination findings typically include jaundice and right upper quadrant tenderness. Charcot's triad is a set of three common findings in cholangitis: abdominal pain, jaundice, and fever. This was assumed in the past to be present in 50â70% of cases, although more recently the frequency has been reported as 15â20%.