Biliary Tract - Clinical Significance

Clinical Significance

Pressure inside in the biliary tree can give rise to gallstones and lead to cirrhosis of the liver.

Blockage can cause jaundice.

The biliary tract can also serve as a reservoir for intestinal tract infections. Since the biliary tract is an internal organ, it has no somatic nerve supply, and colicky pain due to infection and inflammation of the biliary tract is not a somatic pain. Rather, pain may be caused by luminal distension, which causes stretching of the wall. This is the same mechanism that causes pain in bowel obstructions.