title: Postnatal management of prenatally diagnosed biliary cystic malformation.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  Recent advances in ultrasonography have increased prenatal diagnosis of biliary atresia (BA) and choledochal cyst (CC). These conditions are not easy to distinguish before or just after birth. This study investigated diagnostic and therapeutic problems in prenatal diagnosis of BA and CC.
  
  
  METHODS
  We retrospectively studied clinical characteristics and progression of hepatobiliary cysts in 10 patients (4 cases of BA, 6 cases of CC) from the time of diagnosis. Chronological changes in cyst size and gallbladder morphology were assessed and measured sequentially by ultrasonography.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Three cases of BA were type I cyst and 1 case was type III-d. All cases of CC were type Ia. Cyst size decreased between birth and surgery in BA but increased in CC. The gallbladder appeared atrophic in BA. There was no significant difference in gestational age or cyst size at prenatal diagnosis, changes in cyst size between birth and surgery, and degree of liver fibrosis.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  BA should be suspected if cyst size decreases before and after birth and the gallbladder atrophies after birth. Cholangiography is the only reliable method to differentiate BA from CC. Neonatal surgery is indicated for CC with icterus and liver dysfunction.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Hiromu
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Tanaka
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Hideyuki
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Sasaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Motoshi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Wada
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Tomoyuki
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Sato
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Takuro
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Kazama
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Kotaro
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Nishi
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Hironori
authors.initials: H
authors.lastname: Kudo
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan.
authors.forename: Megumi
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nakamura
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Graduate School of Medicine, Tohoku University, Sendai, Japan. Electronic address: mnio@ped-surg.med.tohoku.ac.jp.
authors.forename: Masaki
authors.initials: M
authors.lastname: Nio
mesh_terms: D001656:Biliary Atresia / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D002763:Cholecystectomy / Q000379:methods*; D015529:Choledochal Cyst / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000601:surgery; D005260:Female; D005865:Gestational Age; D006801:Humans; D007231:Infant, Newborn; D008297:Male; D011181:Postnatal Care / Q000379:methods*; D011247:Pregnancy; D011296:Prenatal Diagnosis; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal
keywords: Biliary atresia; Biliary cystic malformation; Choledochal cyst; Prenatal diagnosis