Postoperative jaundice as a clue to unrecognized biliary tract obstruction.

Postoperative jaundice is often a complex clinical problem of multifactorial origin. If underlying liver disease is present preoperatively, there is a greater likelihood of jaundice after surgery. We describe two patients: one with intrabiliary hepatocellular carcinoma and the other with primary sclerosing cholangitis. The underlying processes were unmasked after the development of jaundice in the postoperative period. These cases point out the importance of considering previously undiagnosed biliary tract obstruction in the differential diagnosis of postoperative jaundice.