The Correlation between Acholic Stool and the Result of Tc(99m) DISIDA Hepatobiliary Scintigraphy and Biochemical Test in Neonatal Cholestasis / 대한소아소화기영양학회지

PURPOSE: The most common causes of neonatal cholestasis are neonatal hepatitis (NH) and extrahepatic biliary atresia (EHBA). Since neonatal cholestasis presents with variable expression of same pathologic process and has similar clinical, biochemical, and histologic features between EHBA and idiopathic neonatal hepatitis (NH), differential diagnosis is often difficult. We reviewed the differences of clinical characteristics and laboratory data to find out any correlation between the results of Tc(99m) DISIDA scan and presence of acholic stool. METHODS: Between June 1993 and January 2001, total 29 infants younger than 4 month-old underwent Tc(99m) DISIDA scan. Their biochemical tests and clinical course were reviewed retrospectively. RESULTS: Patients who had negative intestinal activity on Tc(99m) DISIDA scan showed acholic stool and revealed higher serum direct bilirubin and urine bilirubin level. 18.2% of patients with acholic stool showed intestinal activity on Tc(99m) DISIDA scan and 81.8% of them did not. All the patients without acholic stool showed positive intestinal activity on Tc(99m) DISIDA scan. The result of Tc(99m) DISIDA scan and the presence of acholic stool showed high negative correlation (r :-0.858). Patients with acholic stool and negative intestinal activity on Tc(99m) DISIDA scan showed higher serum total bilirubin level. Patients without acholic stool and positive intestinal activity on Tc(99m) DISIDA scan showed higher serum level of ALT. CONCLUSION: Patients with acholic stool and negative intestinal activity showed high correlation, but 18.2% of patients with acholic stool showed positive intestinal activity. So operative cholangiogram or transcutaneous liver biopsy should be performed for confirmation.

Comparison of Tc-99m DISIDA Hepatobiliary Scintigraphy and Percutaneous Needle Biopsy in the Diagnosis of Biliary Atresia from Intrahepatic Cholestasis

We retrospectively evaluated the utility of Tc-99m DISIDA hepatobiliary scintigraphy and percutaneous needle biopsy in differentiating biliary atresia from intraheaptic cholestasis in 60 consecutive infants. Twenty three patients proved to have biliary atresia and remaining 37 patients had intraheaptic cholestasis such as neonatal heaptitis (34 patients), TPN induced jaundice (2 patients) and Dubin-Johnson syndrome (1 patient). All sixty patients underwent Tc-99m DISIDA hepatobiliary scintigraphy with phenobarbital pretreatment. Of 23 patients with biliary atresia, 22 were correctly interpreted showing 96% sensitivity while of 37 patients with intraheaptic cholestasis, only 12 had intestinal excretion of radionuclide showing 32% specificity. Forty needle biopsies were carried out in 17 patients with biliary atresia and 23 patients with intraheaptic cholestasis. Of 40 biopses, 37 were correctly interpreted as either having biliary atresia or intrahepatic cholestasis showing overall diagnostic accuracy of 93%. Of 3 misdiagnostic cases, the histologic findings of two patients with biliary atresia (aged 43 days and 54 days at the first needle biopsy) essentially were the same as those of neonatal heaptitis but follow-up biopsies showed the findings consistent with biliary atresia. The histologic findings of the 3rd patient (VLBW premie with history of 8 weeks TPN) showed mild ductal proliferation and portal fibrosis being interpreted suspicious biliary atresia, but jaundice resolved gradually. In short, the patients who have intestinal excretion of radionuclide on Tc-99m DISIDA hepatobiliary scintigraphy, biliary atresia can be ruled out. But the patients who do not have intestinal excretion of radionuclide should have further investigation as needle biopsy because of high degree of accuracy of percutaneous needle biopsies in differentiating biliary atresia from intrahepatic cholestasis. We conclude that judicious use of a combination of Tc-99m DISIDA hepatobiliary scintigraphy and percutaneous needle biopsy gives correct diagnosis in 95% or more of infantile cholestasis.