Stools - pale or clay-colored

Lower digestive anatomy

Food passes from the stomach into the small intestine. In the small intestine all nutrient absorption occurs. Whatever has not been absorbed by the small intestine passes into the colon. In the colon most of the water is absorbed from the food residue. The residue is then eliminated from the body as feces.

Definition

Stools that are pale, or clay- or putty-colored may result from problems in the biliary system (the drainage system of the gallbladder, liver, and pancreas).

Considerations

The liver releases bile salts into the stool, giving it a normal brown color. You may have clay-colored stools if you have a liver infection that reduces bile production, or if the flow of bile out of the liver is blocked.

Yellow skin (jaundice) often occurs with clay-colored stools due to the buildup of bile chemicals in the body.

Common Causes

Possible causes for clay-colored stools include:

  • Alcoholic hepatitis
  • Biliary cirrhosis
  • Cancer or noncancerous (benign) tumors
  • Cysts of the bile ducts
  • Gallstones
  • Medications
  • Narrowings (strictures) of the bile ducts
  • Sclerosing cholangitis
  • Structural problems in the biliary system that are present from birth (congenital)
  • Viral hepatitis

There may be other causes not listed here.

Call your health care provider if

Call your health care provider if your stools vary from the normal brown color.

What to expect at your health care provider's office

The doctor will perform a physical exam and ask questions about your medical history and symptoms. Questions may include:

  • When did the symptom first occur?
  • Does the discoloration affect every stool?
  • What medicines do you take?
  • What other symptoms do you have?

Tests that may be done include:

  • Blood tests, including tests to check liver function and for viruses that might affect the liver
  • Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
  • Imaging studies such as an abdominal ultrasound or CT scan

References

Berk PD, Korenblat KM. Approach to the patient with jaundice or abnormal liver test results. In: Goldman L, Ausiello D, eds. Cecil Medicine. 23rd ed. Philadelphia, Pa: Saunders Elsevier;2007:chap 150.

See also:

  • Special Topic

    Bile

    Digestive system

    Bile is a digestive fluid that is made and released by the liver and stored in the gallbladder. Bile helps break down into fatty acids, which can be taken into the body by the digestive tract. Bile contains mostly cholesterol, bile acids (also called bile salts), and bilirubin (a breakdown ...

Review date:
August 14, 2010
Reviewed by:
David C. Dugdale, III, MD, Professor of Medicine, Division of General Medicine, Department of Medicine, University of Washington School of Medicine. Also reviewed by David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.
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