My watch list

Biliary reflux

Biliary reflux or bile reflux is a condition that occurs when bile flows upward (refluxes) from the small intestine into the stomach and esophagus.

Additional recommended knowledge

Guide to balance cleaning: 8 simple steps

How to quickly check pipettes?

Don't let static charges disrupt your weighing accuracy

It is different from Gastroesophageal Reflux Disease (GERD), that happens when the stomach acids flow into the esophagus.

Symptoms

Frequent heartburn
Nausea
Vomiting bile

Causes

Most damage to the pyloric valve occurs as a complication of gastric surgery. Other causes of bile reflux include:

Peptic ulcer
Gallbladder surgery (cholecystectomy)

v • d • e Digestive system - Gastroenterology (primarily K20-K93, 530-579)
Esophagus	Esophagitis - GERD - Achalasia - Boerhaave syndrome - Nutcracker esophagus - Zenker's diverticulum - Mallory-Weiss syndrome - Barrett's esophagus
Stomach/ duodenum	Peptic (gastric/duodenal) ulcer - Gastritis - Gastroenteritis - Duodenitis - Dyspepsia - Pyloric stenosis - Achlorhydria - Gastroparesis - Gastroptosis - Portal hypertensive gastropathy
Hernia	Inguinal (Indirect, Direct) - Femoral - Umbilical - Incisional - Diaphragmatic - Hiatus
Noninfective enteritis and colitis	IBD (Crohn's, Ulcerative colitis) - noninfective gastroenteritis
Other intestinal	vascular (Abdominal angina, Mesenteric ischemia, Ischemic colitis, Angiodysplasia) - Ileus/Bowel obstruction (Intussusception, Volvulus) - Diverticulitis/Diverticulosis - IBS other functional intestinal disorders (Constipation, Diarrhea, Megacolon/Toxic megacolon, Proctalgia fugax) - Anal fissure/Anal fistula - Anal abscess - Rectal prolapse - Proctitis (Radiation proctitis)
Liver/hepatitis	Alcoholic liver disease - Liver failure (Acute liver failure) - Cirrhosis - PBC - NASH - Fatty liver - Peliosis hepatis - Portal hypertension - Hepatorenal syndrome
Accessory digestive	Gallbladder (Gallstones, Choledocholithiasis, Cholecystitis, Cholesterolosis, Rokitansky-Aschoff sinuses) Biliary tree (Cholangitis, Cholestasis/Mirizzi's syndrome, PSC, Biliary fistula, Ascending cholangitis) Pancreas (Acute pancreatitis, Chronic pancreatitis, Pancreatic pseudocyst, Hereditary pancreatitis)
Other/general	Appendicitis - Peritonitis (Spontaneous bacterial peritonitis) Malabsorption (celiac, Tropical sprue, Blind loop syndrome, Whipple's) postprocedural: Gastric dumping syndrome - Postcholecystectomy syndrome bleeding: Hematemesis - Melena - Gastrointestinal bleeding (Upper, Lower)
See also congenital