Understanding and Treating Fatigue in Primary Biliary Cirrhosis and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis

Abstract

Fatigue is a significant problem for patients with primary biliary cirrhosis and although experienced less by patients with primary sclerosing cholangitis, a minority still report significant fatigue. Fatigue is the symptom with the greatest impact on quality of life, particularly when associated with social dysfunction. The pathogenesis of fatigue in cholestatic liver disease is complex, poorly understood, and probably has central and peripheral components. Managing fatigue in cholestatic liver disease presents a challenge for clinicians given the complexity and its numerous associations. This article presents a structured approach to managing fatigue in cholestatic liver disease to improve fatigue severity and quality of life.

Keywords: Cholestasis; Fatigue; Primary biliary cirrhosis; Primary sclerosing cholangitis; Quality of life.