Table 1.

Potential causes of acute bacterial cholangitis (non-exhaustive selection)

Choledocholithiasis

Congenital factors

Post-operative factors (bile duct injury, bilio-enteric anastomosis strictures, sump syndrome)

Inflammatory factors (parasitic infection, oriental cholangitis)

Malignant strictures (bile duct, gallbladder, ampullary, pancreatic malignancy)

Duodenal tumours

Pancreatitis

External compression, e.g. pericholecystic inflammatory changes, Mirizzi syndrome

Papillary stenosis

Duodenal diverticulum/Lemmel syndrome