Jaundice Flashcards
What is jaundice?
A medical condition characterized by yellowing of the skin and eyes due to high levels of bilirubin in the blood.
Bilirubin is a byproduct of the breakdown of red blood cells.
What are the common causes of jaundice?
Common causes include:
* Hepatitis
* Alcoholic liver disease
* Gallstones
* Pancreatic cancer
* Hemolytic anemia
Each cause affects bilirubin metabolism differently.
What is the significance of bilirubin levels in jaundice?
Elevated bilirubin levels indicate liver dysfunction or increased breakdown of red blood cells.
Bilirubin is normally processed by the liver for excretion.
True or False: Jaundice can occur in newborns.
True.
Newborn jaundice is common and usually resolves without treatment.
What is the medical term for jaundice in newborns?
Neonatal jaundice.
It is typically due to immature liver function.
Fill in the blank: Jaundice is primarily caused by an increase in _______.
bilirubin
What are the symptoms associated with jaundice?
Symptoms include:
* Yellowing of the skin and eyes
* Dark urine
* Pale stools
* Itching
Symptoms may vary based on the underlying cause.
How is jaundice diagnosed?
Jaundice is diagnosed through:
* Physical examination
* Blood tests to check bilirubin levels
* Imaging studies
These tests help determine the underlying cause.
What treatments are available for jaundice?
Treatments may include:
* Addressing the underlying cause
* Phototherapy for newborns
* Medications for liver disease
* Surgery for blockages
Treatment depends on the specific diagnosis.
What is the difference between obstructive jaundice and hepatocellular jaundice?
Obstructive jaundice is caused by bile duct obstruction, while hepatocellular jaundice results from liver cell damage.
Each type of jaundice has distinct causes and implications.
What are liver flukes?
Trematodes contracted by consuming inadequately cooked fish
What happens to liver flukes after ingestion?
Fluke passes into biliary tree and matures; ova pass into GI tract, infecting molluscs and fish
Name two species of liver flukes.
- Clonorchis sinensis (China, Japan, SE Asia)
- Opisthorchis viverrini (Eastern Europe, Siberia)
What are the common presentations of liver fluke infections?
- Asymptomatic
- Acute febrile illness
- Hepatolithiasis
How is a liver fluke infection diagnosed?
- Detection of ova in stools
- Eosinophilia on blood film
- ERCP shows slender filling defects in bile duct with fibrosis and stones
What is Echinococcus and its mechanism of biliary obstruction?
- Local compression of common hepatic duct by expanding cyst
- Daughter cysts pass down CHD after rupture of cyst
- Inadvertent injection of scolicidal agent into cyst communicating with biliary tree
What is the most common worm causing human infection?
Ascaris lumbricoides
How can Ascaris lumbricoides affect the biliary tree?
Worm can migrate into biliary tree and may appear like stones
What are the clinical presentations associated with Ascaris lumbricoides?
- Cholangitis due to worm traversing ampulla
- Associated with recurrent pyogenic cholangitis
What are the diagnostic methods for Ascaris lumbricoides infection?
- US shows long, linear filling defect in biliary tree
- ERCP may allow extraction of worm
What is the management for Ascaris lumbricoides infection?
Albendazole
What are the potential complications of Ascaris lumbricoides infection?
Papillary stenosis, may require sphincterotomy
