Jaundice indicates overload or damage to the liver, or inability to move bilirubin from the liver through the biliary tract to the gut.
Possible causes are:
obstruction of the bile ducts (by infection, tumor or gallstones)
viral hepatitis (hepatitis A, hepatitis B, hepatitis C, hepatitis D, and hepatitis E)
drug-induced cholestasis (bile pools in the gallbladder because of the effects of drugs)
drug-induced hepatitis (hepatitis triggered by medications, including erythromycin sulfa drugs, antidepressants, anti-cancer drugs, Aldomet, rifampin, steroids, chlorpropamide, tolbutamide, oral contraceptives, testosterone, propylthiouracil)
biliary stricture
alcoholic liver disease (alcoholic cirrhosis)
pancreatic carcinoma (cancer of the pancreas)
primary biliary cirrhosis
ischemic hepatocellular jaundice (jaundice caused by inadequate oxygen or inadequate blood flow to the liver)
intrahepatic cholestasis of pregnancy (bile pools in the gallbladder because of the pressure in the abdomen with pregnancy)
hemolytic anemia
congenital disorders of bilirubin metabolism (Gilbert’s syndrome, Dubin-Johnson syndrome, Rotor's syndrome, or Crigler-Najjar syndromes)
chronic active hepatitis
autoimmune hepatitis
A common, less serious cause is eating too many carrots or taking too high of a dose of a beta carotine supplement.
[This message has been edited by Lindarella (edited 05-18-2002).]
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