This site is intended for healthcare professionals

Go to /sign-in page

You can view 5 more pages before signing in

Urobilinogen

Last reviewed dd mmm yyyy. Last edited dd mmm yyyy

Authoring team

Urobilinogen is a bile pigment that is produced by the degradation of conjugated bilirubin in the biliary tree and small intestine. It is water soluble and colourless.

Urobilinogen has several fates:

  • partial oxidation to urobilin
  • partial reabsoption in the small intestine and recirculation back to the liver - enterohepatic circulation
  • reabsorption into blood and passage to kidney for excretion

Hence, urobilinogen is present in the urine of normal subjects. If there is an increase in urobilinogen in the urine then this indicates hepato-cellular dysfunction or an increased bilirubin formation, e.g. due to haemolysis. In intrahepatic obstruction there is no urobilinogen in the urine.


Create an account to add page annotations

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.