This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Sign in
Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Clinical features

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Amongst the most prominent signs of cholestasis, jaundice develops slowly and may be preceded by pruritus for some time. Later, the skin may become greenish.

General signs of cholestasis may include:

  • xanthomas: palmar creases, below the breast, on the neck. They indicate raised serum cholesterol of several months. Xanthomas on the tendon sheaths are uncommonly associated with cholestasis.
  • xanthelasma on the eyelids
  • scratch marks: excoriation
  • finger clubbing
  • loose, pale, bulky, offensive stools
  • dark orange urine

In addition, extrahepatic cholestasis may be present with:

  • pain, due to gallbladder disease, malignancy, or stretching of the liver capsule
  • fever, due to ascending cholangitis
  • palpable and / or tender gallbladder
  • enlarged liver, usually smooth

Create an account to add page annotations

Create a free account

Annotations allow you to add information to this page that would be handy to have on hand during a consultation. E.g. a website or number. This information will always show when you visit this page.

The content herein is provided for informational purposes and does not replace the need to apply professional clinical judgement when diagnosing or treating any medical condition. A licensed medical practitioner should be consulted for diagnosis and treatment of any and all medical conditions.

Connect

Copyright 2024 Oxbridge Solutions Limited, a subsidiary of OmniaMed Communications Limited. All rights reserved. Any distribution or duplication of the information contained herein is strictly prohibited. Oxbridge Solutions receives funding from advertising but maintains editorial independence.