MedlinePlus Medical Encyclopedia: Kernicterus

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Kernicterus

Kernicterus is a condition where very high bilirubin levels in the blood are deposited in the brain tissue causing irreversible damage to the brain. In the newborn, early diagnosis and treatment of jaundice or conditions that lead to jaundice may help prevent kernicterus.

Update Date: 4/23/2008

Updated by: David Zieve, MD, MHA, Medical Director, A.D.A.M., Inc.

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