Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
Review
. 2022 Apr;52(4):685-692.
doi: 10.1007/s00247-021-05148-y. Epub 2021 Jul 31.

Neonatal diagnosis of biliary atresia: a practical review and update

Deborah D Brahee  1 , Brooke S Lampl  2
Affiliations
Review

Neonatal diagnosis of biliary atresia: a practical review and update

Deborah D Brahee et al. Pediatr Radiol. 2022 Apr.

Abstract

Biliary atresia is challenging to diagnose because many of the clinical and imaging features of this condition overlap with those of other causes of cholestasis in newborns. When jaundice persists beyond 2 weeks of age, the neonate should be evaluated for cholestasis, and biliary atresia - the most common cause of neonatal cholestasis - should be considered. It is critical to diagnose biliary atresia early because failure to treat can result in hepatic fibrosis and death in less than 1 year. In this paper, we review the current diagnostic imaging methods, differential considerations and treatment options for biliary atresia.

Keywords: Bile duct; Biliary atresia; Cholestasis; Infants; Magnetic resonance imaging; Neonates; Ultrasound.

PubMed Disclaimer

References

    1. Fawaz R, Baumann U, Ekong U et al (2017) Guideline for the evaluation of cholestatic jaundice in infants: joint recommendations of the North American Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition and the European Society for Pediatric Gastroenterology, Hepatology, and Nutrition. J Pediatr Gastroenterol Nutr 64:154–168
    1. Robie D, Overfelt SR, Xie L (2014) Differentiating biliary atresia from other causes of cholestatic jaundice. Am Surg 80:827–831 - DOI
    1. Roskams T, Desmet V (2008) Embryology of extra- and intrahepatic bile ducts, the ductal plate. Anat Rec 291:628–635 - DOI
    1. Turkbey B, Ocak I, Daryanani K et al (2009) Autosomal recessive polycystic kidney disease and congenital hepatic fibrosis (ARPKD/CHF). Pediatr Radiol 39:100–111 - DOI
    1. Shamir SB, Kurian J, Kogan-Liberman D, Taragin BH (2017) Hepatic imaging in neonates and young infants: state of the art. Radiology 285:763–777 - DOI

LinkOut - more resources