Final answer:
Ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, and varices are key complications of chronic cholestatic diseases like PBC, indicating advanced liver damage. These conditions often require intense management and potentially a liver transplant. Other complications include chronic liver failure from various etiologies and related liver disorders.
Step-by-step explanation:
Ascites, hepatic encephalopathy, and varices are important complications of long-standing cholestatic disease, and of Primary Biliary Cirrhosis (PBC) in particular. Ascites is characterized by fluid retention in the abdominal cavity and is usually a sign of advanced liver disease, such as cirrhosis, which signifies the liver's severe impairment due to scarring. Treatment focuses on preventing progression and managing symptoms, but in late stages, the only definitive treatment may be a liver transplant.
Chronic liver failure often leads to hepatic encephalopathy, which is a reversible neuropsychiatric abnormality. It indicates a severe reduction in liver function, affecting the brain. Preventing complications in cholestatic liver diseases such as PBC and Primary Sclerosing Cholangitis involves careful monitoring and management to avert these adverse outcomes.
Additional complications can include chronic liver failure, often stemming from cirrhosis, which itself can be due to a wide range of etiologies including chronic alcohol use, hepatitis, autoimmune disorders, and metabolic syndromes like hemochromatosis or Wilson's disease. The other liver conditions that can be implicated in chronic complications include Gilbert's syndrome, Budd-Chiari syndrome, and various pediatric liver diseases like biliary atresia and alpha-1 antitrypsin deficiency.