jaundice
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What is jaundice?
Jaundice is marked by high levels of bile pigments in the body, leading to a yellow or orange discoloration of the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. Jaundice arises from an overproduction of bile, congenital defects, liver disease, leakage of bilirubin back into the bloodstream, or bile duct obstruction.
There are three types of jaundice:
* Unconjugated (hemolytic) Results from excess bilirubin production due to the destruction of red blood cells or muscle tissue.
* Hepatocellular Occurs when damaged liver cells can't transport bilirubin into the biliary system, causing it to leak into the bloodstream.
* Cholestatic (obstructive) Arises when normal liver cells can't transport bilirubin due to damage or anatomical obstructions like gallstones or cancer.3 Britannica SourcesCreated from Britannica articles using AI. AI can make mistakes, so verify using Britannica articles. -
What causes the yellow color in people with jaundice?
Jaundice, characterized by the yellowing of the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes, arises from an excess of bile pigments, particularly bilirubin, in the bloodstream and tissues. Bilirubin, a brownish-yellow pigment, is produced during the breakdown of red blood cells.
The degree of yellowing depends on the concentration of bilirubin in the blood, its diffusion rate into tissues, and how well tissues absorb and bind it. Bilirubin is absorbed more readily at sites of inflammation and edema (fluid accumulation). Impaired liver function, congenital defects, or obstructions in the bile ducts can disrupt the normal processing and excretion of bilirubin, leading to its accumulation and the characteristic yellow discoloration associated with jaundice.
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Which organ in the body is mainly involved in jaundice?
The liver is the main organ involved in jaundice. Jaundice happens when there is too much bilirubin (bile pigment) in the blood and tissues. This causes the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes to turn yellow to orange, or sometimes even greenish.
The liver plays a key role because it helps in the metabolism of protein, carbohydrates, and fat; synthesizes cholesterol and bile acids; starts bile formation; moves bilirubin; metabolizes and transports certain drugs; and controls the transport and storage of carbohydrates. Jaundice can occur if the liver can't process bilirubin properly because of liver damage, a blockage of the bile ducts, or other issues.
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What are the most common causes of jaundice?
Jaundice arises from an excess of bile pigments in the bloodstream and tissues, leading to a yellow or orange discoloration of the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes.
Common causes include:
* Overproduction of bile by the liver
* Congenital defects that impair bile pigment removal or cause overproduction
* Liver cell damage from liver disease, hindering bile pigment removal from the blood
* Bilirubin leakage back into the bloodstream
* Obstruction of the bile ducts, potentially by gallstones or cancerNewborns may develop jaundice due to immature liver function, which usually resolves within weeks. Jaundice is classified into unconjugated, hepatocellular, and cholestatic types, each with distinct mechanisms. Various diseases, such as anemia, infections, and cirrhosis, can also induce jaundice.
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How are liver diseases connected to jaundice?
Jaundice, characterized by the yellowing of the skin and eyes, occurs when bilirubin levels in the blood are abnormally high. Liver diseases can disrupt the liver's ability to process and excrete bilirubin, leading to its accumulation in the bloodstream and bodily tissues.
There are three types of jaundice, one of which is hepatocellular jaundice. Hepatocellular jaundice arises when liver cells are too damaged to transport bilirubin diglucuronide into the biliary system, causing the yellow pigment to enter the bloodstream. Liver diseases that can cause jaundice include hepatitis, cirrhosis, congenital liver abnormalities, and degeneration of liver cells by poisons or infectious organisms.
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How do doctors diagnose and treat jaundice in patients?
Jaundice, characterized by yellowing of the skin and eyes due to excess bile pigments, is diagnosed via endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatoscopy (ERCP) to check the bile and pancreatic ducts for obstructions. Determining the specific type of jaundice is also important for diagnosis. Unconjugated jaundice is characterized by the absence of bile pigments in the urine and normal stool color, while cholestatic jaundice results in amber-colored urine and pale stools.
Treatments vary, addressing the underlying cause, such as gallstones or tumors. Neonatal jaundice often resolves itself or with blue light therapy, which helps in converting bilirubin into harmless products. Exchange transfusions can address severe cases in newborns.
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jaundice, excess accumulation of bile pigments in the bloodstream and bodily tissues that causes a yellow to orange and sometimes even greenish discoloration of the skin, the whites of the eyes, and the mucous membranes. Jaundice is best seen in natural daylight and may not be apparent under artificial lighting. The degree of coloration depends on the concentration of bile pigment (bilirubin) in the blood, its rate of tissue diffusion, and the absorption and binding of bilirubin by the tissue. Bilirubin enters the tissue fluids and is absorbed more readily at sites of inflammation and edema (abnormal accumulation of fluids in the tissues).
The most common mechanisms causing jaundice are an overproduction of bile by the liver, so that more is produced than can be readily excreted; congenital defects, which may impair the removal of bile pigments or cause overproduction; inability of liver cells to remove bile pigments from the blood because of liver disease; leakage of bilirubin removed by the liver back into the bloodstream (regurgitation); or obstruction of the bile ducts. A healthy newborn may develop jaundice because the liver has not fully matured. This type of jaundice usually subsides within a few weeks when the liver begins to function properly. Neonatal jaundice is common, affecting some 50 to 60 percent of full-term infants and about 80 percent of infants born prematurely.
Jaundice is classified as unconjugated, hepatocellular, or cholestatic. The first type, unconjugated, or hemolytic, jaundice, appears when the amount of bilirubin produced from hemoglobin by the destruction of red blood cells or muscle tissue exceeds the normal capacity of the liver to transport it or when the ability of the liver to conjugate normal amounts of bilirubin into bilirubin diglucoronide is significantly reduced by inadequate intracellular transport or enzyme systems. The second type, hepatocellular jaundice, arises when liver cells are damaged so severely that their ability to transport bilirubin diglucoronide into the biliary system is reduced, allowing some of the yellow pigment to regurgitate into the bloodstream. The third type, cholestatic, or obstructive, jaundice, occurs when essentially normal liver cells are unable to transport bilirubin either through the hepatic-bile capillary membrane, because of damage in that area, or through the biliary tract, because of anatomical obstructions such as gallstones or cancer.
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Some of the various diseases that can cause jaundice are hemolytic anemia, congestion in the circulatory system, pneumonia, congenital liver abnormalities, degeneration of the liver cells by poisons or infectious organisms, scarring of the liver tissue (cirrhosis), and obstructions or tumours in the liver, bile ducts, and the head of the pancreas.
In most cases, jaundice is an important symptom of some inherent bodily disturbance, but aside from the neonatal period the retention of bilirubin itself does not usually cause any greater damage than skin discoloration that lasts until the systemic problem is corrected. Cholestatic jaundice, especially if prolonged, can produce secondary disorders that may result in the failure of bile salts to reach the intestinal tract. Bleeding can occur in the intestines because of the absence of bile salts, for without them the fat-soluble vitamin K cannot be absorbed properly by the body. Without this vitamin, blood clotting is impaired, so that there is a greater tendency for bleeding to occur.