Biliary atresia is a rare gastrointestinal condition in which there is sodding or partial absence seizure / destruction of the extrahepatic ( outside the liver ) gall duct . Bile canal is a tube that is responsible for for carrying bile from liver to the impudence vesica and eventually into the small bowel . Bile consist of waste material products from the liver such as cholesterol and bilirubin along with bile acids that aids in the digestion and concentration of fat and fatty - soluble vitamins . The absence or gradual destruction of bile duct can lead to abnormal accumulation of bile inside the liver , ultimately , leading toliver damageor cirrhosis of the liver .
Is Biliary Atresia Congenital?
Biliary atresia is a rare status , which is seen in every 1:15000 live birth . It is the most uncouth grounds of liver transplant in US children . It is more or less more uncouth in females than in males with a ratio of 1.4:1 and is also more common in Asian and African - American population . Although , the effort of biliary atresia is yet unknown ; however , it is hypothesized to be associated with a viral infection ( commonly cytomegalovirus , reovirus eccentric 3 and rotavirus ) during birth . Other causes that have been postulated let in problems with the immune system , an abnormal gall constituent and an computer error in the development of gall ducts .
Biliary atresia is exclusively found in newborn infant and is classified into two types , known as , fetal ( embryonic ) strain or perinatal flesh . Perinatal type of biliary atresia is usually evident after 2 to 4 week of a neonate life and is associated with symptom of late onrush acerbity . It is theorise to be take and caused due to environmental factor . foetal eccentric of biliary atresia is seen at the time of birth in the newborn baby and may or may not be associated with other congenital abnormalities . Extrahepatic biliary atresia that does not have any other innate freakishness is known as classical biliary atresia and is the most unwashed type , usually seen in 70 to 95 % of all caseful . Extrahepatic biliary atresia that is link with one or more other congenital anomalies is seen in about 10 to 15 % of all bilious atresia cases . The other congenital abnormalities that may be connect with biliary atresia are part into four mathematical group admit hepatobiliary , gastrointestinal , cardiovascular and others . Hepatobiliary anomalies include hepatic vascular influx anomalies , choledochal cyst , polysplenia or asplenia . Gastrointestinal abnormalities include intestinal malrotation , jejunoileal atresia , esophageal atresia , tracheoesophageal fistulous withers and Meckel ’s diverticulum . Cardiovascular blemish let in atrial septal shortcoming or other congenital heart disease and situs inversus . Other abnormality includeumbilical herniaandinguinal hernia .
Thus , fetal biliary atresia with or without other congenital diseases is inborn in nature . It is not transmissible or does not run in phratry . Perinatal is commonly acquired , so biliary atresia can be both congenital or assume in nature . The etiology of biliary atresia is mostly idiopathic , but can be attributed to intrauterine or early neonatal malformations , disruptions or chromosomal irregularity .

Symptoms and Treatment of Biliary Atresia
bilious atresia presents with symptom of unrelenting acrimony ( yellowing of the whites of the eye and cutis ) , dark sensationalistic or chocolate-brown urine , acholic stools ( pale , clay or clean dark-skinned bowels ) , enlarge liver and hypertrophied spleen along with abdominal distention , pitiful weight gain along with biliousness , portal hypertension . If biliary atresia is not deal , then it may lead in liver cirrhosis and finally leading to hepatic failure .
bilious atresia is a fatal stipulation , if left untreated . intervention protocol is diagnostic and supportive care . In addition to that , surgical intervention is the only handling to chastise bile stream obstructer from liver viagall bladderto small intestine . Kasai subroutine is used to make bile stream from liver to pocket-size intestine by removing the anomalous extrahepatic gall epithelial duct and seize a segment of low bowel directly to the liver . This procedure help find gall flow in about 80 % vitrine , but is unsuccessful in 20 to 25 % of the slump infants . In display case where Kasai procedure is abortive , liver organ transplant is the only option .
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