Choledocholithiasis with cholangitis

Choledocholithiasis with cholangitis is characterized by a high incidence rate, difficulty in stone passage, and difficulty in stone dissolution, with no specific effective treatment available domestically or internationally. Consequently, many patients with intrahepatic bile duct stones complicated by cholangitis suffer from cholestasis, cirrhosis, and even liver cancer due to a lack of effective treatment. Choledocholithiasis with cholangitis is termed cholangitis when bile duct inflammation predominates, and cholecystitis when gallbladder inflammation predominates. The two often occur simultaneously, usually secondary to bacterial infection on the basis of cholestasis. Bacteria can reach the biliary tract via the lymphatic or hematogenous routes, or ascend retrograde from the intestine through the duodenal papilla. In China, the latter is more common. It can be classified into acute and chronic types. Choledocholithiasis with cholangitis refers to a disease caused by stones within the gallbladder and is a common condition. The incidence increases with age, and it is significantly more common in women than in men. With improvements in living standards, changes in dietary habits, and better sanitary conditions, cholelithiasis in China has gradually shifted from predominantly pigment stones in the bile ducts to predominantly cholesterol stones in the gallbladder. Choledocholithiasis with cholangitis refers to a disease caused by stones within the gallbladder and is a common condition. The incidence increases with age, and it is significantly more common in women than in men. With improvements in living standards, changes in dietary habits, and better sanitary conditions, cholelithiasis in China has gradually shifted from predominantly pigment stones in the bile ducts to predominantly cholesterol stones in the gallbladder.