Jaundice: an internist's perspective.

Jaundice may result from a pathophysiologic abnormality in the uptake, transport, conjugation, or excretion of bilirubin. The pathogenesis of this disease is always difficult to determine, but studies such as abdominal ultrasonography, percutaneous transhepatic cholangiography, and endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography have facilitated diagnosis.