2016 Postmortem
In reply to the discussion: Breaking News Surgeon General Issues New Warning [View all]Ms. Toad
(35,194 posts)It is likely an autoimmune disorder, and the scarring of the bile ducts ultimately destroys the liver. A small percentage of people with IBD (especially UC) also have PSC - but about 85% of people with PSC have IBD. She will likely need a liver transplant. It also puts her at risk for cholangiocarcinoma (bile duct cancer), liver cancer, pancreatic cancer, gall bladder cancer, and acts as an exponential multiplier of her risk for colon cancer - currently around 25% because of the combined effects of UC and PSC). Once you're diagnosed with both you get a colonoscopy every year. No good screening tools for the first 3 cancers that can catch them at a treatable stage. No medical treatment for the PSC itself (only the surgical one - and only once the impact of living with an impaired liver is more hazardous to her health than living with someone else's liver).
It sucks. The "good" news is that having both often means the UC is easier to keep under control Sort of like your "good" news of being trapped in the bathroom giving you a break.