Obstructive jaundice: a case of idiopathic cholestasis.

A 44-year-old man presented to his family physician with intrahepatic cholestatic jaundice, which he had had for seven days. He was admitted to the Family Medicine Service of University Hospital, Saskatoon, and the jaundice was extensively investigated. Initially, it was thought to be induced by antibiotics, but this was not confirmed on controlled drug rechallenge. The precise cause was not found. This article outlines a rational and systematic method for investigating obstructive jaundice. The method and importance of drug rechallenges to identify drugs suspected of causing cholestasis are reviewed.