Percutaneous transhepatic cholecysto-cholangiography (PTCC): An alternative to intraoperative cholangiography in high risk infants suspect for biliary atresia

Abstract

Infants with cholestasis and conjugated hyperbilirubinemia persisting beyond two weeks of age must be evaluated promptly to exclude biliary atresia (BA). BA progresses to cirrhosis and liver failure if portoenterostomy (PE) is not performed in a timely fashion. The gold standard to diagnose BA is intraoperative cholangiography (IOC) via laparotomy. Neonates that are critically ill or have significant co-morbidities may be high-risk surgical candidates, and thus minimizing operative time or avoiding an operation may be beneficial. An additional modality for excluding BA is percutaneous transhepatic cholecysto-cholangiography (PTCC). We present three infants undergoing PTCC by interventional radiology (IR) revealing patency of the biliary system without the need for IOC. Keywords: Biliary atresia, Percutaneous cholangiography, Cholestasis, Cholangiogram, Portoenterostomy, Kasai, Percutaneous transhepatic cholecysto-cholangiography