Obstructive jaundice is caused by which condition?

Obstructive jaundice is caused by which condition?

• A. Cirrhosis
• B. Biliary obstruction
• C. Viral hepatitis
• D. Liver disease

Answer: (B)

Obstructive jaundice occurs when bile flow is blocked in the biliary tract, so conjugated bilirubin cannot reach the intestine and backs up into the blood. This makes conjugated (direct) bilirubin the predominant form in the blood, and you’ll often see elevated alkaline phosphatase as a marker of cholestasis. Clinically, pale stools and dark urine are common, and imaging may show dilated intrahepatic or extrahepatic ducts. The other conditions cause jaundice through liver dysfunction rather than a mechanical blockage of bile flow—cirrhosis and viral hepatitis injure liver cells and impair bilirubin handling, not by obstructing the ducts—while simply labeling something as liver disease is a broader category that doesn’t specify an obstruction.

Obstructive jaundice occurs when bile flow is blocked in the biliary tract, so conjugated bilirubin cannot reach the intestine and backs up into the blood. This makes conjugated (direct) bilirubin the predominant form in the blood, and you’ll often see elevated alkaline phosphatase as a marker of cholestasis. Clinically, pale stools and dark urine are common, and imaging may show dilated intrahepatic or extrahepatic ducts. The other conditions cause jaundice through liver dysfunction rather than a mechanical blockage of bile flow—cirrhosis and viral hepatitis injure liver cells and impair bilirubin handling, not by obstructing the ducts—while simply labeling something as liver disease is a broader category that doesn’t specify an obstruction.