US approach to jaundice in infants and children.

Publication/Presentation Date

1-1-2000

Abstract

High-resolution real-time ultrasonography (US) serves as an important tool for differentiation of obstructive and nonobstructive causes of jaundice in infants and children, independent of liver function. Unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia occurs in approximately 60% of normal term infants and in 80% of preterm infants. Persistence of neonatal jaundice beyond 2 weeks of age demands US evaluation to differentiate between the three most common causes: hepatitis, biliary atresia, and choledochal cyst. In all three conditions, the hepatic echotexture is diffusely coarse and hyperechoic, but this appearance may be seen in a variety of hepatic inflammatory, obstructive, and metabolic processes. Thus, hepatic scintigraphy and at times percutaneous liver biopsy are necessary to narrow the differential diagnosis and to identify patients who require more invasive techniques (eg, intraoperative cholangiography). US is useful for demonstrating inspissated bile and biliary duct stones. In infants, stones are usually secondary to obstructive congenital anomalies of the biliary tract, total parenteral nutrition, furosemide treatment, phototherapy, dehydration, infection, hemolytic anemia, and short-gut syndrome, whereas in older children, stones are usually associated with sickle cell disease, bowel resection, hemolytic anemia, and choledochal cyst. Jaundice in infants and children may also be due to cirrhosis, benign strictures, and neoplastic processes.

Volume

20

Issue

1

First Page

173

Last Page

195

ISSN

0271-5333

Disciplines

Diagnosis | Medicine and Health Sciences | Other Analytical, Diagnostic and Therapeutic Techniques and Equipment | Radiology

PubMedID

10682780

Department(s)

Department of Radiology and Diagnostic Medical Imaging

Document Type

Article

Link to Full Text

Share

COinS