Stools - pale or clay-colored
Information, Symptoms, Treatments and Resources
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).
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 or if the flow of bile out of the liver is blocked.
Yellow skin (jaundice) often accompanies clay-colored stools.
Possible causes for clay-colored stools may include:
- Alcoholic hepatitis
- Biliary cirrhosis
- Cancer or benign tumors
- Cysts
- Gallstones
- Medications
- Sclerosing cholangitis
- Strictures (narrowings)
- Structural problems in the biliary system that are present from birth (congenital)
- Viral hepatitis
This list may not be all inclusive.
Call your health care provider if your stools vary from the normal brown color.
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 work, including tests to check liver function and for viruses
- Imaging studies such as an abdominal ultrasound
- Endoscopic retrograde cholangiopancreatography (ERCP)
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