Strategy of management for congenital biliary dilatation in early infancy.

Purpose: The aim of this study was to establish the optimal management strategy of congenital biliary dilatation (CBD) in early infancy.

Methods: Over the last 15 years, 14 patients with CBD in early infancy (within 5 months), including 3 antenatally diagnosed patients, were treated in the authors' department. Of the 14 patients, 7 (50%) underwent early definitive surgery (E group), and the other 7 (50%) underwent delayed primary definitive surgery after percutaneous transhepatic cholangiodrainage (PTCD; D group). Both groups were compared retrospectively using clinical data.

Results: Pretreatment status and backgrounds of the patients were clinically homogeneous between the 2 groups. The total length of hospital stay was significantly longer in the D group. As short-term complications, 1 patient in the E group was compromised with hepatolithiasis, and 3 patients in the D group were compromised with catheter-related complications. Other clinical data, such as age at definitive surgery, blood loss, pathologic fibrosis of the liver, jaundice-free day, and long-term complications were not significantly different between the 2 groups.

Conclusions: The authors propose that the standard of management should be early definitive surgery with wide anastomosis before 2 months of age. However, PTCD might be used under strict consideration of indication and careful management for patients with extremely poor surgical risk.