Editing Jaundice (section)

==== Posthepatic pathophysiology ====
Posthepatic jaundice, also called obstructive jaundice, is due to the blockage of bile excretion from the biliary tract, which leads to increased conjugated bilirubin and bile salts there. In complete obstruction of the bile duct, conjugated bilirubin cannot access the intestinal tract, disrupting further bilirubin conversion to urobilinogen and, therefore, no [[stercobilin]] or [[urobilin]] is produced. In obstructive jaundice, excess conjugated bilirubin is filtered into the urine without urobilinogen. Conjugated bilirubin in urine (bilirubinuria) gives urine an abnormally dark brown color. Thus, the presence of pale stool (stercobilin absent from feces) and dark urine (conjugated bilirubin present in urine) suggests an obstructive cause of jaundice. Because these associated signs are also positive in many hepatic jaundice conditions, they cannot be a reliable clinical feature to distinguish obstructive versus hepatocellular jaundice causes.<ref>{{cite journal|vauthors=Beckingham IJ, Ryder SD|date=January 2001|title=ABC of diseases of liver, pancreas, and biliary system. Investigation of liver and biliary disease|journal=BMJ|volume=322|issue=7277|pages=33–36|doi=10.1136/bmj.322.7277.33|pmc=1119305|pmid=11141153}}</ref>