Differentiation of jaundice in infancy: An application of radionuclide biliary studies

Atresia and hypoplasia of the bile ducts are the most common congenital biliary anomalies of clinical importance. Surgical correction can help about 10% of these infants. However, surgery should be performed within the first month of life to avoid irreversible liver parenchymal changes. It is difficult to separate the surgical condition, biliary atresia, from conditions in which the trauma of laparotomy should be avoided, such as neonatal hepatitis and other clinically indistinguishable causes of obstructive jaundice. Radionuclide imaging with the ^99mTc‐labeled N‐substituted iminodiacetic acids (HIDA, PIDIDA, DISIDA, etc) have been helpful in the differential diagnosis of biliary atresia.