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Cholestasis - Symptom

Alternative Names

Intrahepatic cholestasis; Extrahepatic cholestasis

Symptoms:

Clay-colored or white stools
Dark urine
Inability to digest certain foods
Itching
Nausea or vomiting
Pain in the right upper part of the abdomen
Yellow skin or eyes

Signs and tests:

Blood tests may show higher than normal levels of bilirubin and alkaline phosphatase.

Imaging tests are used to diagnose this condition. Tests include:

CT scan of the abdomen
MRI of the abdomen
Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP) (can also determine cause)
Ultrasound of the abdomen

Gallstones

Reviewed last on: 9/28/2008
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

References

Zollner G, Trauner M. Mechanisms of cholestasis. Clinics in Liver Disease. 2008 Feb;12(1).

Afdhal NH. Diseases of the gallbladder and bile ducts. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier; 2007:chap 159.

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