Primary sclerosing cholangitis: new approaches to diagnosis, surveillance and treatment

Primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC) is a chronic inflammatory bile duct disease of unknown etiology, frequently associated with inflammatory bowel disease and leading to end-stage liver disease requiring liver transplantation. Moreover, PSC is a premalignant condition associated with an increased risk for hepatobiliary and colorectal malignancy. Since effective medical therapy for PSC is still lacking, this disorder represents a potentially fatal disease with poor prognosis. This article is a summary of an overview given at the 5th Falk Gastro Conference in Munich 2012 and reviews the challenges associated with diagnosis, surveillance and therapy of PSC.