2023 Volume 59 Issue 1 Pages 44-50
A 2-year-old girl with complaints of abdominal pain, vomiting, and anorexia was referred to our hospital. Abdominal CT scan depicted cystic dilatation of the extrahepatic bile ducts and blood tests showed hyperamylasemia, but no jaundice. The patient was diagnosed with congenital biliary dilatation (CBD). She continued to have abdominal symptoms, and a decrease in oral intake resulted in a significant decline in her nutritional status. The patient underwent percutaneous transhepatic biliary drainage (PTBD) because increased biliary pressure was thought to be a cause of her clinical symptoms. After PTBD, she became asymptomatic and resumed oral intake. The patient safely received a radical surgery after the general condition had improved. PTBD requires an advanced technique and careful management in pediatric CBD patients and it is usually used for those with severe obstructive jaundice or refractory cholangitis which is resistant to conventional treatment. Although the indication for PTBD is restricted to a limited number of pediatric CBD patients, it could be an effective therapeutic option for cases with worsening of general condition due to increased intrabiliary pressure.
