Urinary urobilinogen may be increased in the presence of a hemolytic process, such as hemolytic anemia. It may also be increased with infectious hepatitis or cirrhosis.
Comparing the urine bilirubin result with the urobilinogen result may assist in distinguishing between red cell hemolysis, hepatic disease, and biliary obstruction, as shown in the table below.
Table 3. Urine Bilirubin and Urobilinogen Levels in Jaundice| Condition | Urine Bilirubin Result
| Urine Urobilinogen Result
|
Hemolytic disease
| Negative
| Increased
|
Hepatitic disease
| Positive or negative
| Increased
|
Biliary obstruction
| Positive
| Normal*
|
*Urine chemical reagent strip methods cannot detect the absence of urobilinogen, a sign of biliary obstruction.
