Bile Duct Obstruction

Painless jaundice is presented as more diagnostically alarming than jaundice with pain. Painful jaundice more often suggests a gallstone, while painless jaundice suggests slow external compression by a growing mass. A tumor in the head of the pancreas can compress the common bile duct and cause bilirubin to back up into the bloodstream. Simultaneous dark urine and pale or floating stools should not be treated as a dietary explanation. Dark urine can precede visible jaundice by a clinically important interval.