Complete Absence of the Extrahepatic Biliary Tree in a Newborn With Pigmented Stools.

"Yellow stools in neonatal cholestasis exclude biliary atresia." This conventional wisdom led to the development of the infant stool color card, which alerts parents to seek medical referral when pale stools are observed, a strategy that has been shown to improve survival in infants with biliary atresia (BA). Here, we present a case of a newborn with significant direct hyperbilirubinemia (direct bilirubin level of up to 9.2 mg/dL on day of life 10) who continued to produce colored stools. Whole-genome sequencing results were negative for genetic causes of cholestasis. Hepatobiliary scintigraphy findings were nonexcretory. A liver biopsy specimen revealed cholestasis, ductular hyperplasia, giant cell formation, minimal inflammation, minimal portal or periportal fibrosis, and no evidence of viral changes. On day of life 38, during the exploratory laparotomy, the patient was found to have complete absence of the extrahepatic biliary tree, or biliary aplasia, possibly a rare, severe form of BA. This report aims to increase our vigilance and help prevent diagnostic error in patients with signs and symptoms of BA who may produce pigmented stools. Primary care physicians should hence refer an infant (early and urgently) to a pediatric gastroenterologist for further workup for a direct bilirubin level >1.0 mg/dL with any total bilirubin level, irrespective of the color of the infant's stools.

Hiperbilirrubinemias hereditarias: un diagnóstico diferencial a considerar en ictericia / Hereditary hiperbilirrubinemias: a differential diagnosis to considerer in icterus

Las hiperbilirrubinemias hereditarias (HBH) son patologías originadas por defectos en las enzimas y proteínas que participan del metabolismo de la bilirrubina. El clearence de bilirrubina incluye captación y almacenamiento en hepatocitos, conjugación, excreción hacia la bilis y recaptura de su forma conjugada por hepatocitos. Las HBH varían de acuerdo a su patogenia, presentación clínica, niveles de bilirrubinemia y tratamientos disponibles. En general son poco frecuentes, a excepción del Síndrome de Gilbert. Están las que son de predominio indirecto, como el Síndrome de Gilbert y el de Crigler-Najjar, y las de predominio directo, como el Síndrome de Dubin-Johnson y el de Rotor. En general no requieren tratamiento específico y tienen curso benigno, a excepción del Síndrome de Crigler-Najjar para el cual existen medidas terapéuticas específicas a considerar, teniendo un pronóstico reservado para algunas de sus formas de presentación. Es importante el conocimiento de estos síndromes dado el alto índice de sospecha requerido para su diagnóstico y para su diferenciación de otras patologías hepatobiliares de mayor riesgo y severidad.

Hereditary hiperbilirrubinemias (HBH) are pathologies originated from the defect of the enzymes and proteins involved in the metabolism of bilirubin. The bilirubin clearance includes uptake and storage in hepatocytes, conjugation, excretion into bile and recapture of its conjugated form by hepatocytes. HBH vary according to their pathogenesis, clinical presentation, levels of bilirubin and available treatments. Generally they are infrequent, except for Gilbert Syndrome. There are those with indirect bilirubin predominance, such as Gilbert and Crigler-Najjar syndromes, and those with direct bilirubin predominance, including Dubin-Johnson and Rotor syndromes. In general, they do not require specific treatment and have a benign course, with the exception of the Crigler-Najjar Syndrome, for which there are specific therapeutic measures to consider, as well as a reserved prognosis for some of their forms of presentation. The knowledge of these syndromes is important 2 given the high index of suspicion required for its diagnosis and for its differentiation from other hepatobiliary pathologies of greater risk and severity.

Rotor-type hyperbilirubinaemia has no defect in the canalicular bilirubin export pump.

BACKGROUND: The cause of Rotor syndrome (RS), a rare-familial conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia with normal liver histology, is unclear. We hypothesized that RS can be an allelic variant of Dubin-Johnson syndrome, caused by mutation in ABCC2, and investigated ABCC2 (gene) and ABCC2 (protein) in two patients with RS. METHODS: A 57-year-old male presented with a 5-year history of predominantly conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia (170 micromol/l). Urinary porphyrin excretion was increased; cholescintigraphy revealed no chromoexcretion. A 68-year-old male presented with lifelong conjugated hyperbilirubinaemia (85 micromol/l). Bromosulfophthalein elimination was typical for RS. Both patients had histologically normal liver, without pigment. ABCC2 expression was investigated by confocal fluorescence microscopy. ABCC2 was sequenced from genomic DNA and cDNA, and exon deletions/duplications were sought by comparative genomic hybridization on a custom micro-array. RESULTS: In both patients, ABCC2 was expressed unremarkably at the apical membrane of hepatocytes and no sequence alterations were found in 32 exons, adjacent intronic regions and the promoter region of ABCC2. CONCLUSIONS: Rotor-type hyperbilirubinaemia is not an allelic variant of ABCC2 deficiency.

Gilbert's syndrome is a contributory factor in prolonged unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia of the newborn.

OBJECTIVE: Prolonged neonatal jaundice, beyond day 14 of life, is very common and of concern to the clinician. The aim of this study was to investigate whether a genetic mutation in the bilirubin UGT1A1 gene, which has been associated with Gilbert's syndrome in adults, is a contributory factor in prolonged neonatal jaundice. STUDY DESIGN: Blood was collected from 85 term newborns with unexplained hyperbilirubinemia, and DNA was prepared. The neonates were divided into 6 groups depending on whether they were breast-fed or bottle-fed and whether they had acute, prolonged, or very prolonged jaundice. UGT1A1 TATA promoter genotyping (DNA test for Gilbert's syndrome) was performed on all samples, and analysis of the entire UGT1A1 coding sequence was performed in a representative sample (11 of 26) of very prolonged cases. RESULTS: In addition to the known common UGT1A1 TATA alleles (TA6 and TA7), a novel TATA allele (TA5) in a neonate with very prolonged jaundice was identified. Statistical analysis of the TATA genotype distributions within the group of breast-fed neonates revealed significant differences among the acute, prolonged, and very prolonged subgroups (.05 > P >.01): the incidence of familial hyperbilirubinemia genotypes (7/7 and 5/7) is 5 times greater in very prolonged cases (31%) relative to acute cases (6%). Neonates with prolonged jaundice from family pedigrees were observed to demonstrate the Gilbert's phenotype as children or young adults. CONCLUSIONS: A genetic predisposition to develop prolonged neonatal hyperbilirubinemia in breast-fed infants is associated with TATA box polymorphism of the UGT1A1 gene and will be recognized as Gilbert's syndrome in adulthood.

Pregnancy and delivery in patients with urinary diversion through the continent ileal reservoir.

The social and psychologic sequelae after external urinary diversion are known to be fewer in patients with urinary diversion through the continent ileal reservoir (Kock pouch) compared with those with diversion through the incontinent ileal conduit. Therefore, in young female patients treated surgically with urinary diversion through the continent ileal reservoir, a number of pregnancies can be expected. We report herein the results of four pregnancies in three women with this type of reservoir. All deliveries were vaginal. One patient showed urinary obstruction at the end of the pregnancy and delivery was induced. This particular infant was treated with phototherapy because of hyperbilirubinemia; the other three infants were mature. No damage to renal function was noted and revisional surgical treatment of the reservoir was not necessary in any. Consequently, pregnancy is not contraindicated after urinary diversion through the continent ileal reservoir (Koch pouch).

Gilbert's syndrome.

While Gilbert's syndrome is extremely common and benign, its pathogenesis may not be as straightforward as once believed. It has been used as a model to examine aberrations of virtually every step in bilirubin metabolism. The clinical hallmarks are of a hereditary, chronic, mild unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia. Not infrequently subclinical haemolysis may coexist. Liver histology is normal although some minor ultrastructural abnormalities may be evident. The universal defect appears to be a reduction in hepatic bilirubin-GT activity. However, other associated abnormalities in bilirubin metabolism, which occur less consistently, suggest that this may not be the sole defect in all patients. The syndrome is almost certainly part of a spectrum which includes the Crigler-Najjar syndromes; molecular biology data suggests that there is an absence of one (or even more) GT isoenzymes in these disorders. Whether one or more genes is consistently culpable remains open to speculation. Despite the complicated pathogenesis of Gilbert's syndrome, management remains simply reassurance alone.

Síndrome de Gilbert estudo clínico e métodos de diagnóstico com apresentaçåo de seis casos observados pelo autor / Gilbert's syndrome

O autor apresenta as observaçÆes de seis pacientes portadores da Síndrome de Gilbert, diagnosticados e acompanhados em sua clínica particular, nos últimos dois anos, tecendo comentários sobre a conceituaçäo de referida síndrome, sua provável etiopatogenia, benignidade do quadro clínico presente e métodos semiológicos utilizados para seu diagnóstico, compreendendo anammese, exame físico, provas laboratoriais, biópsia hepática com exame histopatológico de fragmentos do fígado, dieta baixa em calorias, ou em lipídios, e testes de contra-prova através do uso oral do fenobarbital. Pôde comprovar, no estudo de seus casos, o aumento discreto ou moderado da bilirrubinemia às custas da fraçäo indireta ou näo conjugada; a normalidade das provas hepáticas realizadas; o aparecimento ou desaparecimento das crises de icterícia, pelo menos em alguns casos, após reduçäo do número de calorias e (ou) prática exagerada de exercícios físicos; a ausência de qualquer tipo de anormalidade no exame histopatológico de fragmentos de fígado, obtidos por biópsia hepática, no único caso em que foi utilizado; e, finalmente, a contraprova da baixa da bilirrubinemia mediante o emprego oral de fenobarbital

Nonhemolytic hyperbilirubinemias.

The familial nonhemolytic hyperbilirubinemias include the syndromes of Gilbert, Crigler-Najjar, Dubin-Johnson and Rotor. Gilbert's syndrome is probably very common in occult form, and patients come to clinical attention partially owing to subtle coincidental hemolysis. The biochemical defect may lie not in microsomal glucuronyl transferase but rather in the plasma membrane enzyme which transglucuronidates bilirubin monoglucuronide to diglucuronide. Patients with Crigler-Najjar type I, a severe disease, exhibit virtual absence of glucuronyltransferase. Type II is milder and appears related to Gilbert's syndrome. Dubin-Johnson's syndrome and Rotor's syndrome, the conjugated hyperbilirubinemias, are separate entities. The former is a block in hepatic excretion, while the defect in the latter lies at least partially in uptake of bilirubin.

Study of the etiology and pathogenesis of low grade nonhemolytic unconjugated hyperbilirubinemia (Gilbert's disease).

172 adolescent and adult patients with low grade nonhemolytic unconjugated hyperbilirubinaemia (n.u.h) were examined. Authors have come to the conclusion of the absence of an acquired (posthepatic) form of n.u.h., i.e of the existence of a single --constitutional--form (Gilbert's disease). Viral hepatitis is not likely to play the role of an etiological factor of n.u.h. but of a factor which manifests a congenital defect of bilirubin metabolism. The study of the glucuronidisation found out that its decrease is an important factor in the pathogenesis of the low grade n.u.h. that therefore cannot opposed to the n.u.h. with glucuronyl transferase deficiency group II according to Arias et al. In 61% of patients a moderately shortened erythrocyte life span has been revealed. However the increased bile pigment production in these cases does not speak against Gilbert's disease. The results of biochemical assays have shown that in n.u.h not only the intrahepatic bilirubin metabolism is disturbed but other functions of the liver cell as well. The morphological study of hepatocytes has revealed certain signs of their dystrophy. Based on their investigation the authors propose to single out a group of hereditary pigment hepatoses which include besides Gilbert's disease the syndromes of Crigler-Najjar, Dubin-Johnson and Rotor.