Analysis of 250 cases investigating the etiology of jaundice

Objective: Jaundice is often a sign of an underlying disease, requiring early diagnosis and treatment. Therefore, identifying the demographic and clinical characteristics of patients presenting with jaundice, elucidating etiological factors, developing clinical approaches, and effectively planning healthcare services are of great importance. This study aims to delineate the clinical profile of cases investigated due to jaundice etiology. Matherials and Methods: The clinical and laboratory data of 250 patients presenting with jaundice at Bolu Abant Izzet Baysal Training and Research Hospital's Gastroenterology Clinic between April 2022 and April 2024 were retrospectively analyzed. Demographic information of patients, etiology according to age groups and genders, and clinical and laboratory data were analyzed. Results: Of the 250 patients presenting with jaundice, 147 were male and 103 were female. There were 9 patients aged 18-24, 40 patients aged 25-44, 78 patients aged 45-64, 62 patients aged 65-74, 42 patients aged 75-84, and 19 patients aged 85 and above, totaling 250 cases. The most common presenting complaints were abdominal pain (48%), jaundice (17.2%), and routine check-up (9.2%). The most common etiological factors were choledocholithiasis (32%), cholelithiasis (10.4%), and pancreatic tumor (6.8%). Benign causes (82.8%) were more frequently detected compared to malignant causes (17.2%). Pancreatic tumor (6.8%) was identified as the most common malignant cause. Conjugated hyperbilirübinemia was more common than unconjugated hyperbilirübinemia. Direct bilirübin levels were highest in pancreatic tumors, while indirect bilirübin levels were highest in Gilbert syndrome. Conclusion: The gender profile of patients presenting with jaundice, frequency of presentations by age group, conjugation status, presence of malignancy, presenting complaints, and etiological factors were evaluated. In our study group, women were found to be older. In jaundiced cases, the mean age of the malignant group was higher compared to the benign group. In the malignant group, all bilirubin fractions (direct, indirect, and total bilirubin) were higher than in the benign group. In jaundiced cases, the five most common etiologies were choledocholithiasis (32%), cholelithiasis (10.4%), pancreatic tumor (6.8%), decompensated liver cirrhosis (6.8%), and cholangiocellular carcinoma (3.6%). KEYWORDS: Jaundice, Choledocholithiasis, Bilirubin, Abdominal Pain, Pancreatic Tumor