Spontaneous perforation of the extrahepatic biliary tree in infancy. A case report.
Spontaneous perforation of the bile duct in infancy is rare, with less than 55 cases described in the literature to date. The authors report the case of a 30-day-old neonate who presented with a 2-week history of progressive abdominal distension and intermittent jaundice. Disofenin technicium 99m sequential scintiscanning provided a preoperative noninvasive confirmation of the diagnosis of biliary ascites secondary to spontaneous perforation of the extrahepatic biliary tract. Distal common bile duct atresia was identified intraoperatively, and end-to-side Roux-en-Y hepaticojejunostomy was performed, with an uneventful postoperative recovery. The etiology, diagnosis, and treatment of spontaneous neonatal biliary perforation is discussed.
Saltzman
D A
DA
Department of Surgery, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis.
Snyder
C L
CL
Leonard
A
A
D001201:Ascites / Q000209:etiology*; D001651:Cholestasis, Extrahepatic / Q000150:complications* / Q000175:diagnosis; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D012422:Rupture, Spontaneous; D014463:Ultrasonography