Cholestatic jaundice during infancy: experience at a tertiary-care center in Bangladesh.
OBJECTIVE
Cholestatic jaundice in early infancy is a difficult diagnostic problem. Early diagnosis is important for proper management. This retrospective study was conducted to find out the etiology and clinical profile of neonatal cholestatic disorders in Bangladesh.


METHODS
Tertiary-care hospital in a developing country.


METHODS
Clinical profile and cause of cholestatic illness were studied in 62 infants with cholestatic jaundice developing before three months of age and persisting for more than two weeks.


RESULTS
Neonatal hepatitis (22; 35.5%--17 with TORCH, 5 with urinary infection), followed by biliary atresia (16; 25.8%) and idiopathic neonatal hepatitis (15; 24.2%), were the commonest causes of cholestasis. Mean age at presentation was 3.5 months. Ten (62.5%) of 16 biliary atresia cases were male and jaundice appeared before 14 days in 14 (87.5%) cases.


CONCLUSIONS
Neonatal hepatitis, biliary atresia and idiopathic neonatal hepatitis were the common causes of neonatal cholestasis in infancy. Though cholestatic jaundice developed early, most of the cases presented late.
Bazlul Karim
A S M
AS
Department of Pediatric Gastroenterology and Nutrition, B S M Medical University, Shabagh, Dhaka, Bangladesh. karimb@bangla.net
Kamal
M
M
D001459:Bangladesh; D006801:Humans; D007223:Infant; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D041781:Jaundice, Obstructive / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000209:etiology