title: Validity of ultrasonography in diagnosing obstructive jaundice.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To evaluate the validity of ultrasonography in patients who have obstructive jaundice.
  
  
  METHODS
  A descriptive retrospective study.
  
  
  METHODS
  Surgical Department, Tikur Anbessa Teaching Hospital, Addis-Ababa, Ethiopia.
  
  
  METHODS
  A total of 49 patients; 15 male and 34 female underwent operation for obstructive jaundice.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cause of obstructive jaundice identified by ultrasonography with reasonable sensitivity of 90% and specificity of 79% for choledocholithiasis and sensitivity of 50% and specificity of 90% for pancreatic head tumours. The degree of common bile duct enlargement was significantly higher when the cause for obstruction was malignant, originating from the head of pancreas or distal end of the common bile duct.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Ultrasonography should be the first and best initial imaging procedure in patients who have obstructive jaundice and shows reasonable sensitivity and specificity to identify causes of obstruction in obstructive jaundice. These findings may act also as a base for which further studies on validity of ultrasonography in the diagnosis of obstructive jaundice could be carried out.
authors.affiliation: Department of Radiology, Faculty of Medicine, Addis Ababa University, P.O. Box 9086, Addis Ababa, Ethiopia.
authors.forename: D
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: Admassie
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: H/Yesus
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Denke
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D001652:Bile Ducts / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology; D005260:Female; D042882:Gallstones / Q000150:complications; D006801:Humans; D041781:Jaundice, Obstructive / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000209:etiology / Q000473:pathology; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009929:Organ Size; D010190:Pancreatic Neoplasms / Q000150:complications; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012680:Sensitivity and Specificity; D014463:Ultrasonography