Pale Skin?? Liver CT Scan to Check Jaundice

Jaundice (CT Scan for Jaundice) is a liver disease that causes the yellowing of the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes. The infected liver starts accumulating excess yellow pigment called bilirubin that is released in the blood. It can be diagnosed through a liver CT scan. The cost of a single CT scan liver will be around ₹3500.

What is Jaundice?

Jaundice is a liver disease in which the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes turn pale due to the accumulation of excess bilirubin in the blood and the frequent death of red blood cells. The infected liver is not able to filter the blood properly, or the blood has an abnormally high volume of bilirubin that is not degraded further. In this condition, people experience loss of appetite, sudden weight loss, and feelings of fullness. The poop color of the person is also changed due to the secretion of bilirubin in poop. 

Types of Jaundice

• 1. Hepatic jaundice- weak liver finds it hard to filter bilirubin from the blood.
• 2. Pre-hepatic jaundice- bilirubin in the blood increases abnormally much before it reaches the liver. This high bilirubin volume in blood takes the form of pre-hepatic jaundice.
• 3. Post-hepatic jaundice: Incomplete drainage of filtered bilirubin into bile ducts to excrete out of the body leads to post-hepatic jaundice.
•  

Symptoms of Jaundice

1. 1. Colour of Skin, eye white, nails change to yellow 
2. 2. Joint pain
3. 3. Rashes
4. 4. Myalgia (muscle pain)
5. 5. Urine and stool color change
6. 6. Loss of appetite
7. 7. Sudden weight loss
8. 8. Vomitings
9.  

Cause of Jaundice

1. 1. Frequent deaths of RBCs lead to increased bilirubin in the blood
2. 2. Weakness or defect in the liver, pancreas, or gallbladder
3.  

Diagnosis of Jaundice

Your doctor will recommend the following diagnostic tests to check whether you are suffering from jaundice or not, 

1. 1. Physical examination
2. 2. CT scan- 
3. 3. Blood test
4. 4. Stool test
5.  

Physical examination- 

• 1. Color change- The doctor will examine your eyes, skin, and nails for the color to change from normal to yellowish.
• 2. Stool change- The doctor might ask you about the color of your poop.
• 3. Diet- The doctor will ask you about food intake and the amount of food you eat.
• 4. Vomitings- The doctor will ask you if you vomit or feel nausea
• 5. Loss of appetite- Don’t want to eat food
•  

CT scan of the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas

CT scans of the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas can tell you clearly whether you have jaundice and which type of jaundice it is.

In order to visualize the health of the liver, the doctor recommends a liver CT scan. A Liver CT scan is a non-invasive imaging diagnostic test. This test can be used to distinguish between obstructive jaundice and nonobstructive jaundice. 

Treatment of Jaundice

Phototherapy – A light-based treatment to treat newborn jaundice. This therapy works by inducing the capability of liver cells to break down bilirubin.

Bile acid sequestrant drugs- 

• 1. Cholestyramine 
• 2. Colestipol
•  

Oatmeal bath in some conditions is helpful in curing pruritus.

Cost for jaundice CT scan

The price for a computed tomography scan for the liver range from ₹2000 to ₹4000

Frequently Asked Questions

Q.1. What is Jaundice?

Jaundice is a liver disease in which the skin, eyes, and mucous membranes turn pale due to the accumulation of excess bilirubin in the blood and the frequent death of red blood cells. The infected liver is not able to filter the blood properly, or the blood has an abnormally high volume of bilirubin that is not degraded further. In this condition, people experience loss of appetite, sudden weight loss, and feelings of fullness. The poop color of the person is also changed due to the secretion of bilirubin in poop. 

Q.2. Are there different types of jaundice? And what are the different types of jaundice?

Yes, there are basically 3 types of jaundice. The other one is newborn jaundice.

Types of Jaundice

• 1. Hepatic jaundice- weak liver finds it hard to filter bilirubin from the blood.
• 2. Pre-hepatic jaundice- bilirubin in the blood increases abnormally much before it reaches the liver. This high bilirubin volume in blood takes the form of pre-hepatic jaundice.
• 3. Post-hepatic jaundice: Incomplete drainage of filtered bilirubin into bile ducts to excrete out of the body leads to post-hepatic jaundice.
•  

Q.3. What are the signs and symptoms of jaundice?

1. 1. Colour of Skin, eye white, nails change to yellow 
2. 2. Joint pain
3. 3. Rashes
4. 4. Myalgia (muscle pain)
5. 5. Urine and stool color change
6. 6. Loss of appetite
7. 7. Sudden weight loss
8. 8. vomitings
9.  

Q.4. What are the major causes of jaundice?

1. 1. Frequent deaths of RBCs lead to increased bilirubin in the blood
2. 2. Weakness or injury to the liver, pancreas, or gallbladder
3. 3. Birth defect 
4.  

Q.5. How will the doctor diagnose jaundice?

Diagnosis of jaundice

Your doctor will recommend the following diagnostic tests to check whether you are suffering from jaundice or not, 

1. 1. Physical examination
2. 2. CT scan- 
3. 3. Blood test
4. 4. Stool test
5.  

1. 1. Physical examination- 

• A. Color change- The doctor will examine your eyes, skin, and nails for the color to change from normal to yellowish.
• B. Stool change- The doctor might ask you about the color of your poop
• C. Diet- The doctor will ask you about food intake and the amount of food you eat.
• D. Vomitings- The doctor will ask you if you vomit or feel nausea
• E. Loss of appetite- Don’t want to eat food
•  

1. 2. CT scan of the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas

CT scans of the liver, gallbladder, and pancreas can tell you clearly whether you have jaundice and which type of jaundice it is. In order to visualize the health of the liver, the doctor recommends a liver CT scan. A Liver CT scan is a non-invasive imaging diagnostic test. This test can be used to distinguish between obstructive jaundice and nonobstructive jaundice.

Q.6. What are the treatment options for jaundice?

Treatment of jaundice

1. 1. Phototherapy – 

A light-based treatment to treat newborn jaundice. This therapy works by inducing the capability of liver cells to break down bilirubin.

1. 2. Bile acid sequestrant drugs- 

• A. Cholestyramine 
•  B. Colestipol
•  

Oatmeal bath in some conditions is helpful in curing pruritus.

Q.7. What is the cost of a jaundice CT scan?

The price for a computed tomography scan for the liver range from ₹2000 to ₹4000

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