
non·ob·struc·tive jaun·dice any jaundice Characterized by a yellow discoloration of the eyes, skin, and urine.Jaundice
Hepatitis
Inflammatory condition of the liver.
What is obstructive jaundice?
What is obstructive jaundice? Obstructive jaundice is a condition in which there is blockage of the flow of bile out of the liver. This results in redirection of excess bile and its by-products into the blood, and bile excretion from the body is incomplete.
Can ultrasound distinguish between obstructive and non-obstructive causes of jaundice?
Distinction between obstructive and non-obstructive jaundice by sonography The grey-scale ultrasound, as a non-invasive imaging device, has been applied in differentiating obstructive and non-obstructive causes in a group consisting of 115 random patients suffering from jaundice.
Is painless jaundice always a cause for concern?
It may be painless, painful, or pruritic. Painless jaundice is always very suspicious for an underlying obstructive malignant cause 3 . Jaundice is a common indication for imaging. Often a specific cause will not be found, and the main role is differentiating between a non-obstructive and obstructive jaundice.
What are the different types of jaundice?
It can be largely divided into two types: Imaging has a major role in detecting the obstructive causes. Clinically, jaundice presents with yellowing of the skin, conjunctiva (often incorrectly attributed to the sclerae) 5, and mobile oral tissues (e.g. frenulum, palate) 6 .

What causes non obstructive jaundice?
The most common intrahepatic causes are viral hepatitis, alcoholic cirrhosis, primary biliary cirrhosis, drug induced jaundice, and alcoholic hepatitis. Posthepatic jaundice is most often due to biliary obstruction by a stone in the common bile duct or by carcinoma of the pancreas.
What does obstructive jaundice mean?
Obstructive jaundice is a specific type of jaundice, where symptoms develop due to a narrowed or blocked bile duct or pancreatic duct, preventing the normal drainage of bile from the bloodstream into the intestines.
What are the 3 types of jaundice?
What are the different types of jaundice?pre-hepatic: before the liver.hepatic: in the liver.post-hepatic: after the liver.
What does the word non obstructive mean?
Medical Definition of nonobstructive : not causing or characterized by obstruction (as of a bodily passage) nonobstructive renal calculi.
What is the most common cause of obstructive jaundice?
The most common causes of malignant obstructive jaundice were carcinoma of gall bladder (62.5%) followed by carcinoma of periampullary region (12.5%), cholangiocarcinoma (12.5%), carcinoma of head of pancreas (12.5%).
How is obstructive jaundice diagnosed?
Diagnostic imaging and blood tests will usually be able to distinguish the various causes of jaundice. Definitive treatment will depend on the cause of the jaundice. If gallstones are diagnosed, endoscopic removal of the stones obstructing the bile duct is recommended.
Does jaundice mean liver failure?
Liver failure occurs when a large portion of the liver is damaged due to any type of liver disorder. Symptoms may include: Jaundice.
What level of bilirubin is jaundice?
A level of bilirubin in the blood of 2.0 mg/dL can create jaundice. Jaundice is a yellow color in the skin, mucus membranes, or eyes.
What stage of liver failure does jaundice occur?
Stage 3: Cirrhosis During this stage of disease, symptoms become more noticeable: pain and discomfort, fatigue, appetite loss, fluid retention, jaundice, and an itchy feeling around the liver.
What does it mean to be obstructive?
adjective. If you say that someone is being obstructive, you think that they are deliberately causing difficulties for other people. Mr. Smith was obstructive and refused to follow correct procedure. Synonyms: unhelpful, difficult, awkward, blocking More Synonyms of obstructive.
What is a non obstructive calculus?
Kidney stones that block the flow of urine from the kidney or down the ureter are called obstructive kidney stones. Depending on stone size and location the blockage can be complete or partial. Non-obstructing stones do not block urine flow but can also cause symptoms that are commonly associated with kidney stones.
What is non obstructive heart disease?
Nonobstructive coronary artery disease (CAD) is atherosclerotic plaque that would not be expected to obstruct blood flow or result in anginal symptoms.
How long can you live with obstructive jaundice?
Death from obstructive jaundice in the first few weeks of its course is quite rare and is only occasionally observed. After a period varying from four to six months, however, patients suffering from occlusion of the common bile duct usually deteriorate rapidly and die.
What are the complications of obstructive jaundice?
Patients with obstructive jaundice are inclined to develop nutritional deficits, infectious complications, acute renal failure, and impairment of cardiovascular function. Adverse events such as coagulopathy, hypovolemia, and endotoxemia can be insidious and significantly increase mortality and morbidity.
How long does it take to recover from obstructive jaundice?
Your body needs at least 6 months to recover from Jaundice. This time is needed by the liver to regain its efficacy. Routine tests are done to check the working of the liver and the enzymes that are created by them.
What is the other name for obstructive jaundice?
Obstructive jaundice is not a disease in itself but a symptom of an underlying condition involving the liver, the gallbladder or the pancreas. It will usually require surgical intervention, and is also known as surgical jaundice.
What are the other types of jaundice?
Jaundice is typically classified as pre-hepatic, hepatic, or post-hepatic.Bile flow obstruction is an example of post-hepatic jaundice. Hepatic jau...
What are the complications of obstructive jaundice?
One implication of having obstructive jaundice is the potential for the underlying cause to be malignant, or cancerous.Moreover, whenever there is...
What markers do doctors use to diagnose obstructive jaundice?
Liver enzymes from blood work can reveal specific patterns that sometimes suggest an obstructive jaundice picture in somebody who has jaundice. Wha...
Can you prevent obstructive jaundice?
Any attempts at preventing obstructive jaundice would, in theory, be directed at preventing underlying, potentially modifiable risk factors. For ga...
Words nearby nonobstructive jaundice
The American Heritage® Stedman's Medical Dictionary Copyright © 2002, 2001, 1995 by Houghton Mifflin Company. Published by Houghton Mifflin Company.
How to use nonobstructive jaundice in a sentence
Protective glasses shaded his eyes from the phototherapeutic light that treated him for jaundice.
What causes obstructive jaundice?
Other causes of obstructive jaundice are tumors, trauma, cysts, and inflammation in the bile ducts.
What causes jaundice in the liver?
Symptoms of obstructive jaundice include yellow eyes and skin, abdominal pain, and fever. Any type of obstruction that blocks the flow of bile from the liver can cause obstruct ive jaundice. Most commonly, gallstones create the blockage.
What are some examples of bile duct surgery?
Examples include: Antibiotic therapy (if indicated for infection) Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP), an imaging procedure that allows treatment of some bile duct problems, including removal of gallstones that are causing obstruction. Intravenous fluids and pain medications. Nutritional support.
What is a condition in which there is blockage of the flow of bile out of the liver?
Obstructive jaundice is a condition in which there is blockage of the flow of bile out of the liver. This results in redirection of excess bile and its by-products into the blood, and bile excretion from the body is incomplete. Bile contains many by-products, one of which is bilirubin, a pigment derived from dead red blood cells.
Why is bile yellow?
Bilirubin, a component of bile, is yellow, which gives the characteristic yellow appearance of jaundice in the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes . The most common cause of obstructive jaundice is the presence ...
What is the yellow substance in the body?
Bile contains many by-products, one of which is bilirubin, a pigment derived from dead red blood cells. Bilirubin is yellow, and this gives the characteristic yellow appearance of jaundice in the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Symptoms of obstructive jaundice include yellow eyes and skin, abdominal pain, and fever.
Can obstructive jaundice be treated?
Fortunately, in most cases, obstructive jaundice can be treated with intravenous fluids, antibiotics and, if necessary, surgical removal of the obstruction. Untreated, obstructive jaundice can lead to serious infection that spreads to other parts of the body.
What causes obstructive jaundice?
Causes of obstructive jaundice. Cholelithiasis/choledocholithiasis. Gall Stones- the most common cause. There are cholesterol stones or mixed stones that form in the gall bladder, migrate via the cystic duct. Pancreatic head carcinoma. Common bile duct strictures are mostly iatrogenic-ERCP and cholecystectomy. Cholangiocarcinoma.
What is the name of the condition that causes a yellowish discoloration of the duodenum?
Obstructive Jaundice: Causes, Symptoms and Treatment. Obstructive jaundice is the type of jaundice resulting from obstruction of bile flow to the duodenum from the biliary tract. Also called mechanical, cholestatic jaundice or surgical jaundice. As a reminder, Jaundice, or icterus refers to the yellowish discoloration of the skin, sclerae, ...
What causes a benign stricture?
Intramural causes. Benign stricture (may be iatrogenic) Malignant strictures (e.g. cholangiocarcinoma) Stenosis. Extramural causes. Cancer of the head of the pancreas. Hodgkin's lymphoma, Non-Hodgkin's lymphoma. 3. According to the cause of lesion and time of onset.
What tests are used to diagnose obstructive jaundice?
The following tests may be performed by our specialists to diagnose the cause of obstructive jaundice: Imaging tests such as CT scanning and magnetic resonance imaging. Blood tests to examine bilirubin levels.
What is the yellow color of the skin?
Jaundice is a yellow color of the skin, mucus membranes, or eyes. The yellow coloring comes from bilirubin, a byproduct of old red blood cells. Obstructive jaundice is a specific type of jaundice, where symptoms develop due to a narrowed or blocked bile duct or pancreatic duct, preventing the normal drainage of bile from the bloodstream into ...
What is the treatment for bile duct cancer?
Bile duct cancer can be treated with photodynamic therapy (PDT) or radiofrequency ablation (RFA) before placing a stent, while pancreatic cancer can be treated by RFA and stenting. Cancers causing obstruction may require more extensive surgery by the CADC's hepatobiliary surgical team.
What causes jaundice after bilirubin?
After bilirubin is produced, jaundice may be caused by obstruction (blockage) of the bile ducts from: Gallstones. Inflammation (swelling) of the gallbladder.
What causes yellow skin?
This yellow color is caused by a high level of bilirubin, a yellow-orang e bile pigment. Bile is fluid secreted by the liver.
Why do my eyes turn yellow?
Jaundice is a condition in which the skin, whites of the eyes and mucous membranes turn yellow because of a high level of bilirubin, a yellow-orange bile pigment . Jaundice has many causes, including hepatitis, gallstones and tumors. In adults, jaundice usually doesn't need to be treated.
Can you treat jaundice in adults?
Jaundice usually doesn't require treatment in adults (it's a more severe problem in infants). The causes and complications of jaundice can be treated. For instance, if itching is bothersome, it may be eased by cholestyramine (Questran®). Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.
Can jaundice cause weight loss?
If jaundice isn't caused by an infection, you may have symptoms such as weight loss or itchy skin (pruritus). If the jaundice is caused by pancreatic or biliary tract cancers, the most common symptom is abdominal pain. Sometimes, you may have jaundice occurring with liver disease if you have:
Can jaundice be found accidentally?
Sometimes, the person may not have symptoms of jaundice, and the condition may be found accidentally. The severity of symptoms depends on the underlying causes and how quickly or slowly the disease develops.
Can you have jaundice with liver disease?
Sometimes, you may have jaundice occurring with liver disease if you have: Chronic hepatitis or inflammation of the liver. Pyoderma gangrenosum (a type of skin disease). Acute hepatitis A, B or C. Polyarthralgias (inflammation of the joints). Cleveland Clinic is a non-profit academic medical center.
What is jaundice in the liver?
Jaundice is a sign indicating the presence of an underlying diseases involving abnormal bilirubin metabolism, liver dysfunction, or biliary-tract obstruction. In general, jaundice is present when blood levels of bilirubin exceed 3 mg/dl.
How to tell if you have jaundice?
The most common signs of jaundice in adults are a yellowish discoloration of the white area of the eye ( sclera) and skin with scleral icterus presence indicating a serum bilirubin of at least 3 mg/dl . Other common signs include dark urine ( bilirubinuria) and pale, ( acholia) fatty stool ( steatorrhea ). Because bilirubin is a skin irritant, ...
How long does breast milk jaundice last?
Onset of breastmilk jaundice is within 2 weeks after birth and lasts for 4–13 weeks.
What is the normal bilirubin level?
Normal levels of bilirubin in blood are below 1.0 mg / dl (17 μmol / L ), while levels over 2–3 mg/dl (3 4-51 μmol/L) typically result in jaundice. High blood bilirubin is divided into two types - unconjugated and conjugated bilirubin. Causes of jaundice vary from nonserious to potentially fatal.
Why does jaundice cause itchiness?
Because bilirubin is a skin irritant, jaundice is commonly associated with severe itchiness. Eye conjunctiva has a particularly high affinity for bilirubin deposition due to high elastin content. Slight increases in serum bilirubin can, therefore, be detected early on by observing the yellowing of sclerae.
Why is bilirubin high?
High unconjugated bilirubin may be due to excess red blood cell breakdown, large bruises, genetic conditions such as Gilbert's syndrome, not eating for a prolong ed period of time, newborn jaundice, or thyroid problems .
Why do babies have jaundice?
Normal physiological neonatal jaundice is due to immaturity of liver enzymes involved in bilirubin metabolism, immature gut microbiota, and increased breakdown of fetal hemoglobin (HbF).
What causes jaundice in the body?
What Causes Jaundice. Jaundice is a symptom complex characterized by increase of bile pigments in body fluids and tissues. Jaundice is perceptible only when the level of bilirubin and only its conjugates exceed 1.5mg/100ml in plasma. In its mildest form it is recognized by yellow discoloration of sclera. With deeper jaundice the skin and mucous ...
What is the bilirubin excretion phase?
Alimentary excretion phase. Bilirubin is excreted through bile into intestines where it is converted into stercobilinogen by bacterial action. A large part is re-absorbed from intestines to portal blood and taken back to liver and re-excreted into bile (entero-hepatic circulation).
What is the color of stercobilinogen?
Stercobilinogen which is not absorbed gives the feces its brown color. 4. Renal excretion phase. A small part of stercobilinogen (4mg daily) passes, into general blood stream and is carried to kidney for excretion in urine as urobilinogen.
