A study on the evaluation of obstructive jaundice using ultrasonography in a tertiary care centre

Abstract

Introduction: Ultrasound examination plays a significant role in demonstrating the aetiology of obstructive jaundice. Routine abdominal Ultrasonography shows the size of the bile ducts, which may define the level of the obstruction and identify the cause, and gives other information related to the disease. The purpose of this work is to study the sonographic features of obstructive jaundice and to identify the most common causes and symptoms of the disease.Method: This is a cross-sectional study conducted in MIMS, Vizianagaram from March 2019 to November 2019. The study population was composed of 200 cases that had been selected randomly with clinical features of jaundice which were examined using an ultrasound machine, 3.5 - 7 MHz probe. Results: The study revealed that 51% of the study population with obstructive jaundice were female, and 49% was male. The common causes of obstructive jaundice were biliary stones which were common in females and abdominal masses, which were common in females, too. Nausea, yellowish discolouration and abdominal pain were the most common symptoms. The causes of obstructive jaundice showed a significant difference between males and females. Conclusion: Ultrasound plays a significant role in detecting and evaluating obstructive jaundice, and it should be the first line of investigation. Gender and age show a considerable difference with the causes of obstructive jaundice.