What Is Jaundice?
Jaundice is not a disease but a symptom that may occur in various conditions. It is a yellow discoloration of the skin and the whites of the eyes caused by the deposition of excess bilirubin in the tissues due to its increased concentration in the blood. Bilirubin is a yellow pigment that is a product of the degradation of hemoglobin contained in used (old) red blood cells and some proteins (e.g., myoglobin found in muscles). The blood’s typical bilirubin concentration does not exceed 1 mg/dl or 17 µmol/dl.
