Outcome in adulthood of biliary atresia: A study of 63 patients who survived for over 20 years with their native liver
✍ Scribed by Panayotis Lykavieris; Christophe Chardot; Maroun Sokhn; Frédéric Gauthier; Jacques Valayer; Olivier Bernard
- Publisher
- John Wiley and Sons
- Year
- 2005
- Tongue
- English
- Weight
- 115 KB
- Volume
- 41
- Category
- Article
- ISSN
- 0270-9139
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✦ Synopsis
To define the long-term prognosis of children undergoing the Kasai operation for biliary atresia, a retrospective study was undertaken comprising 271 patients operated between 1968 and 1983. Twenty years after surgery, 63 (23%) were alive with their native liver. Serum bilirubin was normal in 21 of these patients, 12 also had normal serum aminotransferase and ␥-glutamyltransferase activities, all but 2 had signs of cirrhosis, 44 had signs of portal hypertension, 19 had late bacterial cholangitis, and 6 had gallstones. Seven female patients gave birth to 9 children, and 3 male patients fathered 6 children. After age 20, 2 patients died of liver failure and 14 underwent or are awaiting liver transplantation. Twenty-year survival with native liver was significantly better in children with biliary atresia restricted to the hepatic ducts or with cysts at the porta hepatis. In conclusion, in the long term, less than 18% of infants with biliary atresia who are treated with corrective surgery may avoid liver transplantation, but even these patients require assiduous lifelong care. (HEPATOLOGY 2005;41:366-371.)
See Editorial on Page 231 C ongenital biliary atresia is characterized by complete obstruction of all or part of the extrahepatic bile duct and is always associated with abnormalities of the intrahepatic bile ducts. 1,2 Its cause is unknown, and its incidence ranges from 1 in 3,400 to 1 in 20,000 births. 3 It results in death if left untreated. The Kasai operation or its variants constitute the first step in the surgical treatment of infants with biliary atresia 4 ; liver transplantation is performed secondarily when bile flow is not restored or when complications of biliary cirrhosis occur. Many authors have reported the short-term results and prognostic factors of the Kasai operation, but few data are available regarding its results in adulthood. The present study was therefore undertaken to evaluate the liver status and general condition of patients with biliary atresia who underwent the Kasai operation and survived with their native liver for at least 20 years.
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