Jaundice in a patient with abdominal pain most strongly suggests dysfunction of which organ?

• A. Gallbladder
• B. Liver
• C. Spleen
• D. Pancreas

Answer: (B)

Jaundice shows bilirubin piling up in the blood because it isn’t being properly processed and cleared. The liver is the main organ that conjugates bilirubin and sends it into bile for excretion. When the liver isn’t functioning well—such as in hepatitis or hepatic injury—it can’t conjugate and excrete bilirubin effectively, so bilirubin builds up and jaundice appears. In a patient with abdominal pain, this pattern points most directly to liver dysfunction as the underlying issue. Gallbladder problems can cause pain and, if bile flow is blocked, can lead to jaundice too, but the signal is strongest for the liver’s role in bilirubin processing. The spleen and pancreas aren’t central to bilirubin clearance, so they’re less likely explanations for both symptoms.