Obsolete term for infectious hepatitis.
An acute illness marked by jaundice that arises shortly after gastrointestinal symptoms. It’s accompanied by a loss of appetite, diarrhea, and sometimes a fever. The urine turns a distinct orange-yellow due to bile pigments, while the lack of these pigments in the stool gives it a pale yellow hue. This condition can sometimes spread in epidemics and is caused by a bacterium or virus that leads to inflammation and obstruction of the liver’s bile ducts. It’s the most common form of jaundice. Hemolytic jaundice is another type, resulting from excessive red blood cell breakdown. In newborns, it often stems from a blood incompatibility between the mother and baby, related to the Rhesus factor, and is managed by completely replacing the baby’s blood. This condition is also referred to as icterus gravis neonatorum.