Ascending cholangitis:
• Secondary bacterial infection of the biliary tree that may complicate
duct obstruction.
• Enteric organisms such as coliforms and enterococci are common culprits.
• Cholangitis usually presents with fever, chills, abdominal pain, & jaundice.
• The most severe form of cholangitis is suppurative cholangitis, in which
purulent bile fills and distends bile ducts.
• Since sepsis rather than cholestasis tends to dominate this potentially
grave process, prompt diagnostic evaluation & intervention are mandatory.