# Jaundice in the elderly and tropical diseases **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [January 17, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaundice-in-the-elderly-and-tropical-diseases/679095 "2014-01-17T20:37:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 8:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaundice-in-the-elderly-and-tropical-diseases/679095/1 "2014-01-17T20:37:51Z")
I’ve recently learned that my father is jaundiced. He’s 87. My mother took him to the doctors and they’re arranging a scan next week, and instructions to take him straight to hospital if anything happens. So he’s in good hands. In the meantime I’ve been reading up on the [causes of jaundice](http://www.nhs.uk/Conditions/Jaundice/Pages/Causes.aspx) and malaria is mentioned. Now, my father spent a lot of time in Africa and Asia from the late 50s to the late 70s. As far as I know, he never caught malaria, but is it possible it’s lain dormant all these years? (q.v. chickenpox / shingles) Are there any other tropical diseases which should be mooted to the doctors? ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 8:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaundice-in-the-elderly-and-tropical-diseases/679095/2 "2014-01-17T20:48:15Z")
It’s not malaria. It’s not any other tropical diseases, either. If he’s getting a scan, it sounds like the symptoms point to something obstructive rather than infectious. Hang tight, and see what the scan shows. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaundice-in-the-elderly-and-tropical-diseases/679095/3 "2014-01-17T20:50:22Z")
My concern is that the doctors will have limited knowledge of tropical diseases and simply not consider them. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 8:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaundice-in-the-elderly-and-tropical-diseases/679095/4 "2014-01-17T20:58:40Z")
They have no reason to. Malaria and other tropical diseases don’t go underground for 3-4 decades and then suddenly reemerge. If your father hasn’t been to a tropical country since the 70s, whatever is causing his jaundice isn’t related to his past travel history. ---
**Author:** ![Chefguy](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/chefguy/32/138_2.png) [@Chefguy](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Chefguy)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 9:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaundice-in-the-elderly-and-tropical-diseases/679095/5 "2014-01-17T21:49:32Z")
Does he drink a lot? Hepatitis due to liver damage from alcohol is common. It happened to my son about two months ago and he’s only 37. ---
**Author:** ![Smeghead](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f1d935/32.png) [@Smeghead](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Smeghead)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 9:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaundice-in-the-elderly-and-tropical-diseases/679095/6 "2014-01-17T21:51:00Z")
> [@artemis](#): > > They have no reason to. Malaria and other tropical diseases don’t go underground for 3-4 decades and then suddenly reemerge. If your father hasn’t been to a tropical country since the 70s, whatever is causing his jaundice isn’t related to his past travel history. I agree, FWIW. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 17, 2014, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaundice-in-the-elderly-and-tropical-diseases/679095/7 "2014-01-17T23:39:41Z")
> [@artemis](#): > > They have no reason to. Malaria and other tropical diseases don’t go underground for 3-4 decades and then suddenly reemerge. That’s good to know. Thanks. ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [January 18, 2014, 4:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaundice-in-the-elderly-and-tropical-diseases/679095/8 "2014-01-18T04:06:23Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > That’s good to know. Thanks. You’re welcome. Here’s hoping that whatever is causing your father’s jaundice turns out to be easily treatable. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 19, 2014, 10:43am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaundice-in-the-elderly-and-tropical-diseases/679095/9 "2014-01-19T10:43:40Z")
Unfortunately my mother has had to take him into hospital. Fingers crossed. ---
**Author:** ![Quartz](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/quartz/32/267_2.png) [@Quartz](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Quartz)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 6:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaundice-in-the-elderly-and-tropical-diseases/679095/10 "2014-01-31T18:14:01Z")
An update: they discovered a tumour on his pancreas. It is inoperable. They’ve put a stent in to open the bile duct but it’s merely palliative and he likely won’t see next year. ☹ ---
**Author:** ![artemis](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/91b2a8/32.png) [@artemis](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/artemis)\ **Post date:** [January 31, 2014, 7:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/jaundice-in-the-elderly-and-tropical-diseases/679095/11 "2014-01-31T19:32:02Z")
> [@Quartz](#): > > An update: they discovered a tumour on his pancreas. It is inoperable. They’ve put a stent in to open the bile duct but it’s merely palliative and he likely won’t see next year. ☹ I’m sorry, **Quartz** , but given your father’s age that was exactly what I was expecting when you made your initial post. ☹ In the case of sudden onset of jaundice without any other obvious symptoms in an elderly person, the differential diagnosis list is: 1. tumor, 2. tumor, 3. tumor, 4. gallstone blocking the common bile duct, 5. medication side effect, 6. everything else. For your sake I was really hoping it would be obstruction secondary to a gallstone (which is easily fixed), but it was not to be.