title: Use of Omega-3 Polyunsaturated Fatty Acids to Treat Inspissated Bile Syndrome: A Case Report.
abstract: Inspissated bile syndrome (IBS) is a rare condition in which thick intraluminal bile, including bile plugs, sludge, or stones, blocks the extrahepatic bile ducts in an infant. A 5-week-old female infant was admitted for evaluation of jaundice and acholic stool. Diagnostic tests, including ultrasound sonography, magnetic resonance cholangiopancreatography, and a hepatobiliary scan, were not conclusive. Although the diagnosis was unclear, the clinical and laboratory findings improved gradually on administration of urodeoxycholic acid and lipid emulsion containing omega-3 polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs) for 3 weeks. However, a liver biopsy was suggestive of biliary atresia. This finding forced us to perform intraoperative cholangiography, which revealed a patent common bile duct with impacted thick bile. We performed normal saline irrigation and the symptom was improved, the final diagnosis was IBS. Thus, we herein report that IBS can be treated with omega-3 PUFAs as an alternative to surgical intervention.
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Woo Young
authors.initials: WY
authors.lastname: Jun
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatric Surgery, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Min Jeng
authors.initials: MJ
authors.lastname: Cho
authors.affiliation: Department of Pathology, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Hye Seung
authors.initials: HS
authors.lastname: Han
authors.affiliation: Department of Pediatrics, Konkuk University Medical Center, Seoul, Korea.
authors.forename: Sun Hwan
authors.initials: SH
authors.lastname: Bae
keywords: Cholestasis; Inspissated bile syndrome; Omega-3 fatty acids