Jaundice in adult Zambians: a clinico-pathological correlation

Jaundice is a common clinical presentation in the adult medical wards of the University Teaching Hospital, Lusaka. Fifty consecutive patients presenting with jaundice were studied and a clinico-pathological correlation attempted by liver biopsy (postmortem in three cases). Acute viral hepatitis was the commonest cause of jaundice. The later complications of chronic aggressive hepatitis, post-necrotic cirrhosis and hepatoma also formed an impressive group. There was a rather large group classed as "toxic hepatitis" which included jaundice associated with severe lobar pneumonia and drug jaundice including African herbal intoxication.