Gilbert's syndrome--does it exist? A study of the prevalence of symptoms in Gilbert's syndrome.

Abstract

Liver function tests and prevalence of different symptoms generally said to occur in Gilbert's syndrome were analysed in male conscripts and in male and female participants in two cross-sectional population studies in Göteborg, in total 2395 subjects. The serum bilirubin levels showed a skew distribution without bimodality. We observed no tendency to higher prevalence of symptoms in subjects with high serum bilirubin levels, but normal alkaline phosphatase and aminotransferase values compared to subjects with normal bilirubin. The findings contradict the existence of a disease entity named "Gilbert's syndrome".