Monitoring of hepatic artery resistance index and optimal timing of liver transplantation for biliary atresia.

Purpose: Biliary atresia (BA) is diagnosed by ultrasound (US) examination of the hepatic artery and gallbladder. This study was designed to assess the usefulness of the hepatic artery resistance index (HRI) measured by Doppler ultrasonography (DUS) for prognostication of liver viability in children with BA.

Methods: Seventeen patients with non-correctable BA were examined by US and DUS before and after hepatoenterostomy to evaluate hepatic artery dynamics.

Results: Dilatation of the hepatic artery was demonstrated in all 17 patients. US of the gallbladder showed hypogenesis in seven patients. Preoperatively, all 17 BA patients had an HRI of <1.0. Six of the 17 patients underwent liver transplantation. Four of the six had an HRI of >0.9, and the HRI decreased after the procedure. All patients were alive at the time of writing.

Conclusions: Regular US examinations are helpful for diagnosis of BA and for detecting patients at high risk. A prospective study is required to determine the optimal frequency of assessment.