Abstract
Purpose: Biliary atresia (BA) is a disease that develops into progressive cholestasis, and its early detection and operation are crucial for the prevention of cirrhosis. We retrospectively reviewed the BA cases operated in our institute and evaluated the characteristics of the cases in which preoperative ultrasonography (US) showed atypical findings or “gallbladder contraction after oral intake”.
Methods: Between 2005 and 2014, twelve BA cases were evaluated in terms of the contractility of the gallbladder by preoperative US. We divided these cases into two groups, namely, the positive gallbladder contraction group and the negative gallbladder contraction group, and retrospectively compared their data concerning sex, age at operation, preoperative total bilirubin level, type of BA and postoperative course.
Results: No significant differences in sex, age at operation, preoperative total bilirubin level, or postoperative course were detected, but the type of BA was significantly different between the two groups. All of the four cases in the positive gallbladder contraction group showed patency in the distal common bile duct, or type-a BA, and two of them showed pancreaticobiliary maljunction in cholangiography.
Conclusion: Gallbladder contraction can be observed in type-a BA cases, which could be a pitfall in the diagnosis of BA. Pancreaticobiliary maljunction may be found frequently in type-a BA cases. Further evaluation is needed.
