ULTRASOUND AND NUCLEAR SCAN IN THE DIAGNOSIS OF BILIARY ATRESIA IN PERSISTENTLY JAUNDICED INFANTS
Abstract
This review of cases aims to evaluate the sensitivity and specificity of ultra- sonography (US) and hepatobiliary scintigraphy (HBS) in the diagnosis of biliary atre- sia in persistently jaundiced infants. Thirty-four (34) patients (age 1 to 11 months, 11 females and 23 males) underwent surgery for correction of biliary atresia diagnosed by ultrasound and/or hepatobiliary scintigraphy between January 1981 to December 1995 at the Clinical Division of Santo Tomas University Hospital. All patients had tissue sent for histopathological examination. There were 26 patients with both ultrasound and scintigraphic studies, six (6) with scintigraphic studies only, and one (1) with ultrasound only. Using Fisher's Exact Probability Test, hepatobiliary scintigraphy showed a better sensitivity (83.3%) than ultrasound (68.8%) (p< 0.05). However, ultrasound has a better positive predictive value (84.6%) compared to hepatobiliary scintigraphy (75%) in the diagnosis of biliary atresia in persistently jaundiced infants. The study recommends that ultrasound should be used as the initial imaging modality of choice in evaluating biliary atresia in persistently jaundiced infants.
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