A rare, progressive inflammation of the bile ducts with no definitive cure, strongly associated with inflammatory bowel disease. This volume addresses PSC scientifically and humanly, for patients, families, and non-specialist clinicians.
Secrets of a Healthy Liver — Volume 8
Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis: An Inflammatory Liver Disease
A rare, progressive inflammation of the bile ducts that advances quietly, has no definitive cure, and is often overlooked — including within specialist circles. Prof. Seyed-Moayed Alavian addresses PSC both scientifically and humanly, because awareness, early diagnosis, and consistent care are what actually change its course.
Publisher
Publication date
August 29, 2025
Print length
221 pages
Language
English
Format
Kindle edition
Series
Secrets of a Healthy Liver, Volume 8
Audience
Patients, families, GPs, students, and health administrators
Get the book
Published by Brieflands and available worldwide as a Kindle edition on Amazon. For institutional orders, bulk copies, or translation rights, contact the publisher directly.
About this book
The liver sustains metabolism, detoxification, immune regulation, and energy storage — and many of its diseases are overlooked, by the public and sometimes within specialist medicine too. Primary sclerosing cholangitis is one of the least known and most consequential: a chronic inflammation of the bile ducts that can progressively impair liver function.
PSC is rare but progressive, and it typically advances silently, which makes diagnosis, treatment, and long-term management genuinely difficult. It occurs more often in people with inflammatory bowel disease, ulcerative colitis in particular, and its cause remains unknown. In the absence of a definitive cure, awareness, early diagnosis, and consistent care are the pillars that control progression and protect quality of life.
Written from years of clinical and research experience, the book sets out to make complex material clear and usable — for patients and families, and equally for general practitioners, medical students, and health system administrators. It deliberately addresses the human and emotional dimensions of the illness alongside the science.
Every illness is more than just a collection of signs and symptoms — it is a human experience intertwined with fear, hope, despair, perseverance, and resilience.Prof. Seyed-Moayed Alavian — from the introduction
What the book covers
What PSC is
How chronic bile duct inflammation develops and progressively affects the liver.
The IBD connection
Why PSC occurs more often alongside ulcerative colitis and inflammatory bowel disease.
Diagnosis
The challenge of identifying a disease that advances without symptoms.
Management
What can be done in the absence of a cure, and why consistency matters more than intensity.
Living with PSC
The emotional reality of a chronic diagnosis, addressed directly rather than skirted.
For the health system
Why awareness among non-specialists changes outcomes for a rare disease.
Note. This book is education and support, not a substitute for specialist care. PSC requires management by a hepatologist, carries an increased risk of bile duct and colorectal cancer that warrants structured surveillance, and in advanced cases is treated with liver transplantation. If you have inflammatory bowel disease and abnormal liver tests, raise PSC with your doctor.