n (pathology) A morbid condition, characterized by yellowness of the
eyes,
skin, and
urine, whiteness of the feces,
constipation,
queasiness, loss of
appetite, and general
languor and
lassitude. It is caused usually by
obstruction of the
biliary passages and consequent
damming up, in the liver, of the bile, which is then absorbed into the
blood. Other causes include increased
hemolysis and any
liver disease. The discoloration is caused by accumulation of
bilirubin in the body; bilirubin is normally excreted in
bile to give
feces their normal yellow-brown coloration.