Cholangiasis

Part of speech: noun

Definitions

1. A medical condition in which parasites infest the bile ducts that carry bile from the liver to the intestine
2. Infestation of the biliary passages by parasitic worms, disrupting the normal flow of bile from the liver
3. The presence of parasites within the bile ducts, which can obstruct bile flow and inflame the liver tissue

Etymology: This medical term is built entirely from Greek parts. "Cholē" means bile, and "angeion" means vessel or duct. The combining form "cholangio-" therefore refers to the bile ducts, the narrow tubes that carry bile from the liver and gallbladder to the intestine. The ending "-iasis" comes from Greek and marks an abnormal condition, as in "psoriasis" and "elephantiasis." Ancient Greek physicians did not use the whole word. Modern medical writers assembled it from classical roots, so it is a technical coinage rather than an inherited term. It names a condition of the bile ducts, most notably infestation by parasites. "Cholangitis," by contrast, refers to inflammation of those ducts.