Aim: The ability to excrete various biliary contents after release of obstructive jaundice is a good indicator of the degree to which residual liver cell function is free from cholestasis. We conduct this study to clarify whether different causes of obstructive jaundice have different effects on the biliary excretion and whether they are different when obstruction is released.Methods: Fourteen patients with obstructive jaundice undergoing bile duct drainage were classified into two groups, depends on the cause of obstruction. Seven patients were due to common bile duct stones and the other seven patients had biliary tract cancers. Fasting bile were collected on the day of catheter placement and the 2nd, 4th, 6th, 8th, 10th day thereafter. The sequential changes of biliary concentration of bilirubin and bile acid were checked.Results: There is no significant difference in the concentration of bile contents after relief of obstruction between the two groups of patients (p > 0.05). The reduction of serum bilirubin concentration is correlated with the amount of excreted bile acids and conjugated bilirubin in the bile duct cancer group (P < 0.05). Whereas, in the gallstone patients, the alleviation of jaundice is not related to the amount of biliary excretion of conjugated bilirubin nor the bile salt (P > 0.05).Conclusions: The sequential changes of bile contents and the recovery of liver functions are quite similar in both benign and malignant etiologies.