The Basics
IBD-PSC is the overlap of inflammatory bowel disease with primary sclerosing cholangitis (PSC), a chronic disease that inflames and scars the bile ducts. The combination behaves differently from IBD alone, and knowing that changes your care.
Two conditions, linked
PSC is a liver/bile-duct disease. IBD is bowel inflammation. They travel together. Most people with PSC also have IBD (usually ulcerative colitis, sometimes Crohn's colitis).
How common
Roughly two-thirds of people with PSC have IBD. The reverse is less common: PSC develops in a small percentage of people with ulcerative colitis. 9,10
Why the label matters
IBD-PSC is its own phenotype with specific risks, especially a higher chance of colorectal cancer, so surveillance and management differ from ordinary IBD.
A shared-care condition
Usually managed by a team: gastroenterology/hepatology for the liver and bowel, and colorectal surgery when surgery is needed.