What is biliary atresia?

  Disease basics: Biliary atresia is an extremely serious disease in infants, the pathogenesis of which is still unclear. Its clinical manifestations are obstructive jaundice: stools gradually become lighter and light yellow or white clay color during the neonatal period; urine gradually becomes darker; yellow staining of the skin and sclera gradually increases; abdomen bulges, liver and spleen increase in size and harden, and veins of the abdominal wall are revealed. Beyond 3 months, irreversible liver damage and cirrhosis occur, and the best time for surgery is lost; if the disease continues to develop, the infant develops liver failure, portal hypertension, gastrointestinal bleeding, liver coma and death.  For those who have just become parents, you should pay attention to: 1, after the newborn physiological jaundice still exists more obvious skin, sclera yellow staining; stool color becomes lighter, or white clay stool, be alert to the possibility of biliary atresia, promptly to the regular hospital for related tests to clarify the cause, so as not to delay the disease.  2. Because the etiology of the disease is still unclear and there are many causes of neonatal jaundice, a clear diagnosis is difficult and complicated, and hepatobiliary ultrasound and liver function tests are the initial, routine means of screening for BA.  3. For a few children with refractory neonatal hepatitis syndrome, in order to identify whether it is cholestasis or biliary atresia, it is necessary to perform biliary exploration, imaging, and liver biopsy surgery to clarify the diagnosis after systematic treatment by internists is ineffective or aggravated.  4. For children with a clear diagnosis of BA, we strive to perform the appropriate surgery within 3 months according to the condition and disease typing: some infants with biliary atresia can be cured by surgery. Some infants with incurable biliary atresia can be cured by surgery, and some infants with incurable biliary atresia can be cured by liver transplantation.