A study was carried out to determine the sensitivity and specificity of ultrasound for noticing the causes of obstructive jaundice.

In this study 80 elderly patients with clinical and biochemical features of obstructive jaundice were registered. There were approximately two times as many females as males, with 28 (35%) males and 52 (65%) females, making a male to female ratio of 1:1.9. The reasons, degrees and stages of ductal obstruction were evaluated sonographically through the transabdominal route. The ultrasonographic analyses were correlated with surgical outcomes and histopathological diagnoses.

There was a strong association between the definitive analysis and the sonographic level of obstruction. The whole sensitivity of ultrasound for detecting the cause of obstruction was 76.6%, while the specificity was 98%.

It was concluded that ultrasonography is a trustworthy imaging modality for analysing the cause and level of obstruction in surgical jaundice. The sensitivity is satisfactory to support the early institution of surgical intervention, thus preventing morbidity and mortality which may go together with late interventions.

Source: J Ultrason. 2020;20(81):e100-e105.